Our work in Ethiopia
Ethiopia has shown its commitment to children's rights by ratifying the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1991. Despite this, most children's rights are not respected nor are children aware that they are entitled to rights. There is limited capacity, experience and expertise within the government and civil society, which hampers the full implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. In addition, regular monitoring and reporting on child rights violations by civil society and the media is still weak. Ethiopia developed a National Plan of Action but its implementation is slow to get started.
Poverty hampers the realization of children's rights but so does the lack of knowledge. In general, duty bearers are unaware of their obligations to respect and promote the rights of children. What is more, children do not know that they have legal rights to demand a certain level of care and respect so that they are able to develop to their full potential. Human rights are still a relatively new concept in Ethiopia and much work needs to be done to spread information and create a solid foundation for democracy.