Domestic violence a "hidden" problem

Each morning a steady stream of women file into the Addis Ababa offices of lawyer Meaza Ashenafi. All have a similar story to tell. They are victims of domestic violence – perhaps the most prolific and insidious form of violence against women, both in Ethiopia and the world today. Meaza, 36, will almost always give them the same advice – justice, if they are lucky enough to get it at all, will take a very long, long time. Her pessimism comes from years of experience, both as a lawyer and a judge. Ethiopia, like many countries around the world, has yet to fully recognise the extent to which women are victims of violence at home. Few laws, if any, exist to protect them and even if they do they are often flouted. Girls in rural areas have been known to be married off at the age of eight – the federal law states the legal age for marriage is 18. Another girl was raped when she was four. The legal process and conviction took a further six years. Meaza, who six years ago founded the well-respected Ethiopian Women Lawyers' Association, has heard them all. Her organisation attracts some of saddest cases; those who are extremely poor and unable to gain access to the legal system themselves. By becoming the first lawyers’ organisation to offer legal aid her office was inundated. But, she says, often women come to talk about divorce, child custody or other issues. "It is only when you start looking into the matter that you find the root cause is domestic violence," she says. "Domestic violence is the most prevalent kind against women but also the most hidden." When it comes to fighting domestic violence through the law, she admits her hands are often tied. The first ever international recognition of domestic violence was by the United Nations just eight years ago. The Declaration of Violence Against Women, adopted by the General Assembly in 1993, defined violence as physical, sexual and psychological – both in public and private life. "This declaration was unprecedented, the first of its kind. It sets the standards and outlines the basic rights of women," says Meaza, who qualified as a lawyer at Addis Ababa university in 1986. She says that in Ethiopia child abuse is a major issue. Marital rape, she adds, is not illegal. "If a woman is raped by her husband she has no redress under the law whatsoever." Domestic violence also places a huge burden on society, according to Meaza. "Violence against women is under–reported and under-recorded. This has to do with shame, fear of reprisals, lack of information, lack of confidence in making a complaint and many other reasons," she says. "Often women want to keep the issue private." Her organisation has been working alongside the government to help improve access to justice for women. It presented a list of proposals to be included in legal reforms currently underway. These include making domestic violence part of the criminal law and relaxing the abortion laws. "In Ethiopia we have a long way to go," she stresses. "Our laws are incomplete."