I have been adamant and uncompromising in repudiating many of the harmful and backwards culture that is still prevalent in my homeland Ethiopia. There are plenty to list, and almost all of them are primitive and dangerous.
It baffles me how a whole society can be brain washed in such a manner. With advocacy or rights groups scarce, these deeply rooted traditions are literally taking the whole nation hostage; at least, putting its potential at a stand-still; at worst, washing away the future of a nation.
The Right To Choose
The Right To Choose is a documentary film that shares the story of young girls being married off at an age when most of them should be in an elementary school somewhere, or playing hide-and-seek.
In it, is a 4 year old Ethiopian girl who is being married offat such a young age. You would also see the story of Nibret, who is 11.
A Sickening Culture That Lacks Justification
Choosing whether to marry or not, and if and when to have children, is a fundamental human right. But in a country like Ethiopia (or Africa) it is widely violated.
In many African communities, girls are still viewed as commodities – to be married of as early as possible. Once married, a girl forfeits the right to make decissions that affect her own and her children’s future.
From Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, we have the case of the bride who was nine and the bridegroom who was twelve. On the night of the marriage, the bridegroom, because he was a child, cannot – couldn’t break the hymen. So his atendants, who were adults, told him to poke the bride with an iron. He poked her and she went to hospital for four, four months. I think the physical injury has healed, but what will come in the future, we don’t know, tells Georgis in the documentary – The Right To Choose.
It leaves me utterly speechless and I can hardly begin to imagine the horror and helplesnnes a little girl faces when confronted with such a fate. A fate handed to her by a backward and primitive culture.
Such a tradition is what’s being practiced in my country of Ethiopia. There is not enough outcry or even an effort to teach the illiterate among us, the Gospel of women’s rights. It is this type of practices that we harbor and accept under the name of tradition and culture.
It is worth mentioning that Ethiopia’s half population are women, and among the women most are young chidlren. By default, they are our foundation for any growth or economic development that Ethiopia dreams to achieve as a nation.
So long as our women are lagging, we will all be lagging as one nation. Our government MUST take the initiative to broadcast the message of – “Reform”. Heaven knows we desperately need it.
WORTHY NOTE: The Ethiopian civil code sets 15, as the minimum age of marriage for girls.
Filed under: Ethiopia, Parenting, Women and Children, addis ababa, africa, aids, culture, eritrea, family, poverty, sex, women issues | Tagged: ethiopian culture, ethiopian women, fgm, polygamy, tradition, underage marriage, women's rights
its really sad and heart breaking
[...] see what my friend Dr. Ethiopia has been upto. There, I came across an article he created entitled Marrying-Off a (four) year old Ethiopian Girl. I found this article interesting. Because only the other day (*cough* last Sunday), i was watching [...]
DR Ethiopia Your post is touching and needs attention!!!!!!
As an Ethiopian and as a woman I understand the difficulties and suffering of my sisters.It is shocking that most of us knows about this practice and do noting about it. I am looking forward to see what can we do about these issues.
Oh… it’s gotten here already
. Anywho, check it out when you get the time.
this sounds like one of those creepy cliches we NZers hear about in church…
Dear Dr. Ethiopia,
I am not sure were you getting your information from. I am assuming that you have never been to Ethiopia or never heard of the culture at all. First of all you will never find parents that would do to their kids at that age in Bahir-Dar. Second, its against the law and has been since the Mengistu Hailemariam administration and unless if you go to some of the very rural areas, and I strongly disagree with those. With that, I am not expecting you to know the definition of arrenged marriage in Ethiopia. When parents promise their daugter/son to other parents and celebrate their wedding, at th end of the day the son/daughter will go home with their parents and they will not have any type of relationship with the person they are marrying at that age, means they are engaged and when they grow up that is the person they will be with. So, if you really are Ethiopian, shame on you. If you prove the information is correct, then those so called parents are not human beings, they must be insane.
Mimi
@Mimi Ethiopia -
It is hard to address your comment, for it accuses one of being Un-Ethiopian, for having discussed and raised the serious lack of progress that is prevalent in rural sections of Ethiopia.
I say this because you must have not seen the documentary, and you are one of very few who insist on seeing things with your own two eyes, and unfortunately that is just what you will have to do in your case.
FYI, I m Ethiopian indeed and one who is very in touch with my culture (the good and the evil) side of it.
i suggest we acknowledge our shortcomings as Ethiopians and encourage further discussion.
I hope i addressed all your questions and again i seriously suggest that it is time you realize that the grass is not greener on the other side, as you believe it to be.
As a foreigner living in Ethiopia, I have been offered many girls by Ethiopian parents, wanting a better life for their child etc, I would love to accept, only I prefer the boys. And the culture is not ready to accept open gay relationships. I’m sure in time this can be dealt with by waving ‘birr’ in front of the parents!
And you should aim for marrying someone whom you dont have to waive birrr in their faces in order to marry their child…why would you accept the offer of a human being by desperate people if your account is true?, accepting anything from desperate people or exploiting it is called opportunism…
Ethiopian culture is very much alive and well and living in all states in Oz. Ignorance is bliss in this country, we have become so politically correct we choose to ignore or address this harsh reality, embrace all the cultures we are told, at whatever cost,respect everyones differences and don’t judge. Tell that to the hundreds of young women and girls as young as 5 having their genitals ripped from their bodies, and Doctors who eventually need to treat these girls when they go into labour due to F.G.M. Yes I am talking about Australia, and Yes it does happen here. How do I know? I am currently protecting my 8 y.o daughter from her father who wants her “circumsised” and also has a husband chosen for her. Footscray in Melbourne Australia IS now Ethiopia. Who helps us? No one , because the Government is literally forcing the 2 cultures together and refuses to acknowledge the reality of what is happening right here in this country. GOD help the ignorant and weak.
Uhmm why do you sound like it is he mixing of the cultures you resent rather than a harmful cultural practise which we all agree should stop?…
there is lots and lots that is good about Ethiopian culture and tradition, there is also a lot which is harmful too, so talk about that and Do not call our culture ignorant or weak , or we the weak and ignorant. in your words , might wanna remind you of the stain of shame of Autralia …the Aborigines…very civilised what was done to them by a higher civilisation and still done to them to this day isnt it ?…cultural genocide as not shameful as FGM
…and btw this FGM is not specific to Ethiopians only many African countries have this practise, nor is the practise of child marriages, both abhorent and harmful practises not only practised by ethopians, show your contempt for the cultural practice not the entire culture of people it makes feel there is another subtext to your comment and view, is there?……
Correction , read cultural genocide as not shameful as FGM: as this below:
“read cultural genocide is as harmful as FGM”
DUNE, I am NOT accusing the Ethiopian culture or people as weak or ignorant. I am concerned as to how many women there are in relationships where the Gov’t here is basically enforcing that the child in seperated relationships, (as in my case), spends equal time with their father. This is why there have been many Family Relationship Centres opened around the State. of Victoria. As in domestic violence, this Practice can, and has, been hidden, unless the parent, usually the Mother speaks out to protect her child, (as I have). Without public knowledge of this practice within the Ethiopian community, my daughter would be spending weekends with her Father, (hence I would then be the weak and ignorant one) and F.G.M would have gone ahead, without mine or my daughters consent. After speaking with a social worker at one of these centres, she rang me and apologized for her ignorance on this practice, and was grateful I had informed her of our situation, and shared what I knew from my experience with an Ethiopian migrant. Is there a subtext to my comment and view,? You are the Academic one here?… I am a Mother before anything else, do you know what most women would go through to protect their child? Yes F.G.M is practised in other African countries, But we are talking about Ethiopia, “The right to Choose”. Seems to me like you are trying to justify F.G.M as an acceptable practice ,by comparing this to how our Aboroginal people have been treated. We can only change the ugliness and barbaric practrices of what happens within a culture, when we see it as totally un necessary, and not for the well being of our people, and certainly not for the next generation. How would you feel about your penis being severed from your body? There is absolutely NO difference between that and F.G.M, before I seperated myself and my daughter from her Father , he tried to argue the point with me by saying our daughter would only have part of her clitoris cut off, some parts of her genitals would be kept intact, So how would you feel about having just part of your knob from your penis cut away? I don’t think so! Australia is a Multi-Cultural country, there will be many more like myself come into conflict with the mixing of cultures, this is where I say again God help the weak and ignorant.
Chris :”DUNE, I am NOT accusing the Ethiopian culture or people as weak or ignorant.
Dune: Well if you say you were not calling the Ethiopian customs ignorant and weak I will take your word for it but it did seem you were, if you were not, I stand corrected.
Chris: I am concerned as to how many women there are in relationships where the Gov’t here is basically enforcing that the child in seperated relationships, (as in my case), spends equal time with their father.”
Dune: with due respect : this is a different issue to FGM, to make both parents accessible to their child should they divorce or separate doesnt equate the condoning of FGM unless of course your argument is that the access of children whose one of their parents come from countries that practice female genital mutilation should be stopped for fear that parents might want to subject this practice to their child.
There is a problem wih this argument because every child has a right to see both their parents provided there is no fear that either of that child parents will not harm their child incuding subjecting them to any cultural practises harmful to that child’s welfare…
Chris: This is why there have been many Family Relationship Centres opened around the State. of Victoria. As in domestic violence, this Practice can, and has, been hidden, unless the parent, usually the Mother speaks out to protect her child, (as I have).
I live in Europe where the government is and has been making a concerted effort in going after domesic abuse generally in all communities but also amongst the immigrant communities , mainly because it is a taboo subject amongst those communities and the causes of that violence are different culturally and need to be understood.
Stringent FGM legislation has been introduced since the early 90’s to safe guard the safety of children who might be a risk of it, parents are prosecuted for it and so are practitioners.
I could not tell you the rate of success of people caught doing this but i can assure you for everyone who is caught has been prosecuted the last tow medical practitioners three years ago, so it may not be completetly fool proof but it is a problem which is not ignored.
to be continued…
Chris: Without public knowledge of this practice within the Ethiopian community, my daughter would be spending weekends with her Father, (hence I would then be the weak and ignorant one) and F.G.M would have gone ahead, without mine or my daughters consent.
I am surprised there is no public knowledge of the issue, there is so much of it here and has been for years I initially got the impression the father of your child will remove your child to Ethiopia and do it there,
I now sense you are saying it is actually done in Australia itself?, well I am as appalled as you seem to be , contrary to your assumption I am not a supporter of FGM, I am infact totally and vehemently agaisnt it, if you had asked instead of made an assumption of what my beleifs are about the matter I would have told you, I am glad you were in a position to know and proec your child, i still wouldnt have thought you weak or ignorant if the worst had happen, more like victims of a wrond doing…
Chris: After speaking with a social worker at one of these centres, she rang me and apologized for her ignorance on this practice, and was grateful I had informed her of our situation, and shared what I knew from my experience with an Ethiopian migrant.
Dune: Again I applaud you for being alert and being in a position to protect your child, I really had no idea FGM is so unknown anywhere int he West nowadays and much more care and training is given to victims and professionals, even paretns are taught that it is the agisnt the laws of the country and the last tow medical practitioners caught doing this stuff were sent to prison for it. I would be shocked if I found out it is still practises here..
Chris: Is there a subtext to my comment and view,? You are the Academic one here?…
Dune: You sounded more you were objecting to the mixing of cultures by principle.
Chris: I am a Mother before anything else, do you know what most women would go through to protect their child?
Uhmm not yet but it is not beyond the realm of imagination of what motherly love is and does, I know mothers and I had a mother who did do everything to protect me always as a mother does, so yes I dont know but i can imagine.
Also, I might not be mother earth yet, but i come from the countries these harmful practises are used on helpless females,,,,
I want it gone more than you i should imagine, whereas you want to protect your daughter and rightly so i want every Ethiopian daughter and even African daughter who are more at risk of this abuse of their bodies and are uite the helpless victims…
Chris:Yes F.G.M is practised in other African countries, But we are talking about Ethiopia, “The right to Choose”.
Yes we were, but in addition I told you this was not a practise confined to Ethiopia and it is not which is just a fact I mentioned not to justify anyhing but because well facts are facts and need to stated. It drove you to aocnclusion based on several assumtions…
Chris: Seems to me like you are trying to justify F.G.M as an acceptable practice ,by comparing this to how our Aboroginal people have been treated.
Dune: I have not. You made a statement sounding you resented the effort your government is making in integrating cultures, you furthermore added the words weak and ignorant to that statement.
I then in turn made a statement wondering if what happened to the Aboriginal culture and people at the hands of white Australia might be viewed even stronger terms than weak and ignorant? I personally use words like genocide cultural and otherwise
It wasnt to justify FGM as you assumed it was to do or to compare , it was though to highlight all the ignorant and criminal things done by all cultures even the ones who claim superiority….
So yes do not manipulate my words or their meaning, if you viewed as i thought at the time of your stamen Ethiopian culture ignorant and weak becuase of FGM my question was then to you isnt what happened to be aborigines as shameful as what happens to women FGM, are you then so candid about the wrongs of your own culture and history?
Chris: We can only change the ugliness and barbaric practrices of what happens within a culture, when we see it as totally un necessary, and not for the well being of our people, and certainly not for the next generation.
I agree…
Chris? How would you feel about your penis being severed from your body?
Dune: I dont know really, I’ve never had a penis but I can always ask friends with penises how it feels if a Lorena Bobbit was done on them and will let you know what they say eh?…
“There is absolutely NO difference between that and F.G.M”,
*before I seperated myself and my daughter from her Father , he tried to argue the point with me by saying our daughter would only have part of her clitoris cut off, some parts of her genitals would be kept intact,” *
Dune: well that is wrong whichever way one looks at it I am glad you reported him to social services…
Chris: So how would you feel about having just part of your knob from your penis cut away?
Well i havent got a knob or a penis so that is not really relevant is it?
Chris :I don’t think so! Australia is a Multi-Cultural country, there will be many more like myself come into conflict with the mixing of cultures, this is where I say again God help the weak and ignorant.
Dune: Uhmm, thought as much…
finished
DUNE: First of all I apologize for asking you how you would feel if you had your penis severed from your body. It is the same regardless what sex we are, F.G.M is slaughter of the genitals. I don’t beleive I am candid about any wrong doings in any Culture, like I said a couple of times on here we are specifically discussing the Ethiopian culture, this is the whole purpose for me making comment on here, because my family has been directly affected by the behaviour and strong beleifs of this culture. Elders are brought out here to perform F.G.M on girls who live here in Australia, this is how strongly F.G.M is looked upon, and keeping this part of the culture alive is paramount, unfortunately to the women who live here too, changing their views on this is going to be a difficult one, if not almost impossible. I am preparing to make the Gov’t here more aware of my experience, and also in the process of legal action, so I guess I should leave this as my last comment regarding the Ethiopian culture. On the subject of the weak and ignorant, well, we could all be guilty of being this way, IF we don’t take action to change this barabaric and very old culture. Initially I felt very welcomed by the Ethiopian people I met, they seemed like very gentle and kind people, my partner came across as trusting and caring. We all have a dark side to us, some things we may not be proud of, and hesitate to admit. When I encountered the true nature of the culture and the practices they support, my dissapointment for my daughter was huge, actually devastating, to digest the enormoty of how this was to affect my daughters life, her future, was very hard to take as her Mother. I did not want to raise her as a lone parent, she had a very loving and attentive Father, how can I do this to her, I was strarting to blame my self for not looking into the Culture further and finding out for myself if I could live with practice. I didn’t find out until our daughter was 6 weeks old, I tried to convince myself over the next 3 years, that “He” would never do anything to harm our daughter, but nothing changed in him, if anything he was becoming even more protective of his culture ans less embracing of the Aussie culture. Its like swimmimg against the tide, if you experience the privilege of becoming a Mother, I hope you never find yourself in such a difficult situation. I will continue to fight the fight, and with family support we will do what we can to make others aware, my daughter will grow up well informed, and hopefully she too will continue to help her sisters live a better life and future. All the best to you in the future.
Chris:..DUNE: First of all I apologize for asking you how you would feel if you had your penis severed from your body. It is the same regardless what sex we are, F.G.M is slaughter of the genitals.
Dune: No harm done Chris and thank you….
Chris: I don’t beleive I am candid about any wrong doings in any Culture,
Dune: fair enough, I personally try to understand cultures in their context rather than mine, that doesnt mean I condone it when it benefits no one and in addition cause harm to either everyone or one escion of society.
Chris: like I said a couple of times on here we are specifically discussing the Ethiopian culture, this is the whole purpose for me making comment on here, because my family has been directly affected by the behaviour and strong beleifs of this culture.
Dune; So we are….
Chris: Elders are brought out here to perform F.G.M on girls who live here in Australia, this is how strongly F.G.M is looked upon, and keeping this part of the culture alive is paramount, .
Dune: This is wrong and more than likely criminal juding by he legislation I saw , why is litle so known about FGM in Australia? and where do these elders cutters get the surgical equipment they need and pain control drugs from?
Chris: unfortunately to the women who live here too, changing their views on this is going to be a difficult one, if not almost impossible
Dune: The way to change people is through education and by showing them that there is a better way, through education they will come to that conclusion themselves because you have given them the tools to freedom, works better than telling someone or more than someone parts of their culture is rotten, it might very well be but help them fight it is much better….
Chris: I am preparing to make the Gov’t here more aware of my experience, and also in the process of legal action, so I guess I should leave this as my last comment regarding the Ethiopian culture.
Dune: I wish you lots of luck in your legal action I really do i am quite shocked at the thought that FGM goes on in Australia and I hope your daughter will be safe with you, if nothing else happens you could apply for supervised contact which social services will have o supervise in a controlled environment, also can apply for a court order not to take her out of the country… wish you and your daughter the best of luck . i commend you for taking every precaution.
to be continued.
You also made it sound like Australia has no legislation agaisnt FGM or child protection laws , some are limited in their scope and how much they can do , but they are old laws and might have been amended since and they are there…so why not simply go to the law and social service s and let them know what the father of your child might be up to/ how easy after that do you think even seeing his child would be without any supervision?
ii) Queensland’s legislative response
The inclusion of sections 323A and 323B into the Criminal Code expressly prohibit the practice of FGM.
[57] Legitimate medical procedures and sexual reassignment procedures have been excluded from the definitions.
Section 323A(1) criminalises the performance of FGM and although s 323A(3) has not replicated the WHO classification typologies, it would appear the definition of FGM without having yet been tested in court fully encompasses all recognised acts of FGM.
The penalty of a maximum term of 14 years is indeed severe, however there has been no legislative distinction made within either section 323A or 323B, between health professionals and non-professionals that perform FGM.[58]
Furthermore no sanctions have been introduced to discipline institutions in which it is found that FGM has been performed.
This is particularly disappointing given the strong condemnation of medicalisation of FGM by the AMA, WMA and WHO.[59] Additionally the Queensland legislation fails to impose penalties on those who aid, abet or arrange for the performance of the procedure unless it concerns the removal or arrangements to remove the child from the state, in which case section 323B is applicable.
Section 323B specifically deals with the intention or actual taking of a child outside of Queensland to be genitally mutilated.
Previously there was no law that prevented a person from taking a child, normally resident in Australia, out of the country for the performance of the procedure. Regardless of whether authorities were aware or reasonably aware of this intention.
There was doubt as to the ability under Australian law to prosecute the person upon their return.[60] Section 323B presumes that the removal of the child overseas is for the purpose of performing FGM, however the accused can give evidence to rebut this presumption.[61]
It is also noted that the practical application of this section can be seen as problematic particularly with respect to evidentiary matters.
However, given the serious consequences for children such legislative action is necessary to provide the highest level of protection possible for the children and women concerned.
Section 323B also serves to illustrate Australia’s (Queensland’s) commitment to carrying out its previously mentioned international treaty obligations.[62]
iii) Child Protection Programs
Child protection mechanisms ensure the safety of the child by providing additional scope for sensitive community education and social work interventions, that are tailored to the needs of children.
All of Australia’s states and territories have jurisdiction under general child protection legislation to respond to incidences of FGM as a matter of physical abuse.[63]
There is however no specific child protection protocol within Queensland for addressing the practice of FGM. This is problematic, given the recent criminalisation of FGM, the cultural nature of the practice and some of the unique qualities of the procedure that may distinguish it from other offences against children.
[64] Given the recent criminalisation of FGM, it is also important that guidelines be developed for use by Suspected Child Abuse and Neglect teams, for the investigation and handling of families at risk and families suspected of having had their daughters mutilated.
[65] Finally, the limited scope of mandatory reporting within Queensland under the Health Act (1937) also needs to be extended to a wider range of professions beyond medical practitioners, who are required to report suspected maltreatment or neglect.
My friend on Orkut shared this link and I’m not dissapointed at all that I came to your blog.