International Journal of Gender & Women's Studies

The Ethiopia’s Legal Framework on Domestic Violence against Women: a Critical Perspective
Megersa Dugasa Fite

Abstract
Feminist study has shown precise resource deprivation and physical and sexual violence committed against girls and women worldwide. Even where constructive regulation to defend the victims of domestic violence are established, weak execution remains caused through exclusive and occasionally fraudulent judicial and police structures. In Ethiopia, women’s exposure to domestic violence should be considered from the context of their position in the society. High degree of violence is being perpetrated on women in both the public and private spheres of their life. This article concludes therefore that, to realize its national and international obligations to gender equality more policy efforts are still required from the Government of Ethiopia. These inter alia include changing the societal attitudes to and perception on women, reassessing the existing scattered applicable laws, urgently establishing comprehensive legal framework to protect the victims of domestic violence, and ratifying of the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples' Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa, better known as the Maputo Protocol. These can particularly help to secure those who remain susceptible and in threat of violence and abuse in the domestic domain and generally back the strategy to bring about gender justice in Ethiopia.

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