The Contradictions Between the Proclaimed and the Practiced in Human Rights in Ethiopia: Ethnic and Cultural Diversities as the Scapegoat

Dr Habtamu Wondimu is an Associate Professor of Psychology in Addis Ababa University. He has published articles on Ethiopian cultural values, child rearing practices, interpersonal violence in schools, causes of conflicts in Ethiopian families, inequities in educational opportunities, and educational wastage.

He is currently a Visiting Research Fellow at the African Studies Centre, Leiden, working on the topic Culture and Human Rights.

Ethiopia adopted the UN Human Rights Declaration and the conventions on civil, political, social, economic and cultural rights several years ago. The 1994 Constitution of Ethiopia lists almost all of the rights enumerated in the 1948 UN Declaration of Human Rights, However, arbitrary arrest and unlawful deprivation of life, arbitrary arrest of independent journalists and opponents of the ruling party are widely practiced at the state level, while abduction and rape, domestic violence, female genital mutilation, child labor and prostitution prevail at the family and community level in many parts of the country. At both levels mainly ethnic and cultural diversities are involved as the rationale for the violations. The reasons are challenged and future strategies to reduce the gaps are suggested in the paper.

The Ethiopian dominant culture reflects traditionalism, conformity, hierarchy and conservatism which are some of the values of collectivist cultures in the world. Ethiopia has about 80 ethnic groups. Two of the most populous groups (Oromo&Amhara) account for 62.8% and the most populous 14 groups account for 94% of the population. Ethnicity is 
the basis for regional and local administration, for political organization, and various political decisions and explications by the government. Often the political rhetoric of ethnic rights ignores or undermines not only the individual rights but also violates the rights of children, women, the impaired, the poor and the marginalized social groups. What is to be done (in the long run) to improve the situation at the state and the grass-roots levels?