Turning the Tide of Child Marriage in Ethiopia
Stories of Promise
In February 2006, ICRW led a delegation of congressional staff, faith-based organizations and non-governmental organizations on a tour of Ethiopia's capital, Addis Ababa, and the Amhara region. Funded by the United Nations Foundation, the trip provided an opportunity to explore the causes, consequences and promising solutions to reduce child marriage.
Leslie Calman, ICRW's vice president of external relations, shares the stories of the people she met during her travels.
Change Is Possible
Alitash,* one of the many vibrant Ethiopian girls we met during our trip, told a familiar story. Her parents had promised to give their daughter in marriage when she turned 8 years old. In Africa and South Asia, girls are commonly forced into marriage as children. The east African country of Ethiopia has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, despite a national law prohibiting the practice. Nationwide, 60 percent of girls younger than 18 are married. In the Amhara region, half of girls younger than 15 are married.
As a child bride, Alitash would likely stop her education in the third grade. She would probably become pregnant, increasing her susceptibility to health problems such as fistula—a physical condition that results from obstructed labor, leaving the mother leaking urine or feces—or death during childbirth.
Her parents had their reasons. In a country where a staggering 80 percent of its people live on less than $2 a day, families struggling to survive are compelled to marry off daughters. Parents also hope to protect their daughters from premarital sex, including rape, by finding a husband who can serve as a guardian.
But the stunning turnaround in Alitash's life proves change is possible. A local women's association convinced her parents that allowing their daughter an education would enable her to earn a better living. They cancelled her wedding and today she remains in school with the possibility of a full life ahead of her.
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Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church (left) with Linda Bales of the United Methodist General Board of Church and Society. |
Leaders as Role Models
Across Ethiopia, people are beginning to understand that the traditional practice of child marriage is doing irreparable harm to their daughters. During our stay in Addis Ababa, our delegation met with Ethiopian First Lady Azeb Mesfin, who also is an elected member of parliament; government officials; legal organizations; and religious leaders, including the Patriarch of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. Each one expressed the desire to educate and assist families and communities to end child marriage.
Power of the Grassroots
Reforming entrenched cultural beliefs and norms does not come easy. Government plays an important role in setting national priorities, but equally crucial are the grassroots groups involved in the daily work of educating and organizing around the danger of early marriage and the promise of empowering girls.
Communities are coming together as a powerful force for change. One USAID-funded project we visited claims it has stopped more than 140 child marriages. Fifty-eight volunteers, men and women, meet with families to speak out against early marriage. Some volunteers have even taken parents to court, with the help of legal and religious groups, to prevent marriages.
We also met Erasto who had pleaded unsuccessfully with his parents to spare his 10-year-old younger sister, Sisay, from marriage. Undeterred, he approached the local women's association, which dispatched a group of women to pressure his parents who ultimately agreed not to marry off their young daughter.
Power of Education
Realizing the need to provide schooling where educational opportunities for girls are scarce, a community-based school, funded in part by USAID, runs a club for teenage girls, none of whom are married. Many of these girls have older sisters who were married at 8, 9 or 10. The school's curriculum, its caring faculty and an organized women's association protect these girls from child marriage.
In another village, a new community organization recently built a one-room schoolhouse to educate boys and girls. Teru, a 14-year-old girl who attends the school, confidently spoke of the transforming power of education. On behalf of her fellow students, she shared how learning had awakened a newfound pride and exhilarating awareness of new possibilities for them and their community.
Making Progress Toward Bright Futures
The Ethiopians we met during our week's visit displayed remarkable courage and fortitude in the face of seemingly insurmountable barriers. Within their communities and families, they are daring to dream of a hopeful future full of possibilities. Our delegation made a promise to those we met that we would tell their stories. And with its partners, ICRW is committed to working with the U.S. Congress and policy-makers to fund the efforts that are slowly chipping away at harmful traditional practices.
To learn more about child marriage, explore our photo essay, Too Young to Wed.
*Names have been changed to protect privacy.