Africa Up Close

At the end of 2021, the Ethiopian Parliament adopted a law establishing a National Dialogue Commission. International and regional diplomats expressed appreciation for the action, indicating that it is a good step towards resolving Ethiopia’s political problems and ending the ongoing conflicts in the country. A principled national dialogue could restore a measure of stability allowing for longer term efforts to address ethnic polarization and intercommunal intolerance to commence. Such a national dialogue must encompass a broad range of stakeholders in all three phases—preparation, process, and implementation—in order for it to succeed. However, there are concerning issues that should be considered before it is too late in the preparatory phase, as the approach taken will influence the ultimate legitimacy of a national dialogue.

The Ethiopia Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) shows that among young women aged 20–24 years, 40.3 percent were married before the legal age of 18 while 14.1 percent were married before the age of 15. Of girls and women aged 15–49 years in Ethiopia, 65 percent have experienced FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) in various degrees.[i] These statistics rank Ethiopia as having the largest absolute number of FGM cases and the third highest rate of child marriage in eastern and southern Africa.[ii] The same demographic survey shows that a third of women aged 15–49 had experienced either physical or sexual violence.[iii]