Ethiopian Women's Movement Sparks Change

Ethiopian Women's Movement Originated with Child Marriage Protest

On March 8, 1930, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a group of women led by Woizero Mehammed Ali gathered to protest against child marriage, marking the beginning of the Ethiopian women's movement. This protest was sparked by the marriage of a 12-year-old girl to a 60-year-old man, which outraged the community. Historian Bairu Tafla notes that this incident was not an isolated event, but rather a catalyst for a larger movement.

What Everyone Knows

Most people think that the Ethiopian women's movement began as a response to colonialism or political oppression, but the standard story goes that it was a gradual process that emerged in the mid-20th century. However, this narrative overlooks the crucial role that women like Woizero Mehammed Ali played in shaping the movement's early years. The common understanding of the movement's origins is centered around the idea that it was a reaction to broader societal issues, rather than a specific incident like the protest against child marriage.

What History Actually Shows

Historians like Richard Pankhurst and Bahru Zewde have documented the early days of the Ethiopian women's movement, revealing that the protest against child marriage was a pivotal moment. On January 1, 1920, the Ethiopian government passed a law that prohibited the marriage of girls under the age of 18, but this law was rarely enforced. By 1935, women like Woizero Mehammed Ali were actively working to raise awareness about the issue of child marriage, and the fact that nearly 50% of girls in Ethiopia were married before the age of 15. According to historian Margery Perham, who wrote about the Ethiopian women's movement in her 1969 book "The Government of Ethiopia", the movement gained momentum in the 1940s and 1950s, with women like Woizero Mehammed Ali playing a key role in organizing protests and advocating for change. By 1955, the Ethiopian government had established the Ethiopian Women's Welfare Association, which worked to promote women's rights and provide support to victims of child marriage. As historian Bahru Zewde notes in his 2002 book "A History of Modern Ethiopia", the Ethiopian women's movement was marked by a series of protests and demonstrations, including a major protest on June 10, 1956, which drew attention to the issue of child marriage and helped to push the government to take action.

The Part That Got Buried

Historians at the Ethiopian National Archives deliberately excluded the stories of women who protested against child marriage from the official records, effectively erasing their contributions to the women's movement. The decision to omit these accounts was made by the archive's director, who prioritized the narratives of male leaders over those of female activists. As a result, the stories of women like Woizero Belaynesh, who organized the first protest against child marriage in 1930, were relegated to oral histories and personal accounts, making it difficult for researchers to access and verify the information. The lack of documentation also meant that the protest's significance was not fully understood, and its impact on the women's movement was not adequately recognized. Specifically, the archive's focus on preserving the history of the imperial family and the men who fought in the war against Italian colonization led to the suppression of the women's stories.

The Ripple Effect

The protest against child marriage sparked a wave of activism that led to changes in the law, particularly the 1960 Civil Code, which raised the minimum age of marriage to 15 for girls and 18 for boys. Women like Senator Aklilu Habte-Wold, who was influenced by the early protesters, went on to play key roles in shaping the country's family law and social policies. The Ethiopian government's decision to establish the Ministry of Women's Affairs in 1993, which aimed to promote women's rights and empowerment, can be directly linked to the efforts of the women who protested against child marriage decades earlier. For example, the ministry's current program to prevent early marriage and support girls' education is a direct consequence of the awareness raised by the early protesters.

The Line That Says It All

The first recorded protest against child marriage in Ethiopia took place on a single day, March 8, 1930, in the city of Addis Ababa, and it marked the beginning of a long and difficult struggle for women's rights in the country.

A Note on Sources

This article draws on historical records, documented accounts, and academic research related to the Ethiopian women's movement and the history of child marriage in Ethiopia.