ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (UNICEF) — In a room filled with visiting dignitaries and members of the Ethiopian National Assembly, Tadeletch Shanko’s voice was whisper-quiet as she talked about the difficult subject of female genital mutilation/cutting, or FGM/C.
Ms. Shanko had performed FGM/C on girls for the last 15 years and underwent the procedure herself as a girl, with devastating consequences.
“I lost seven of my nine children in childbirth,” she said. “Because of the scarring I sustained, I was not elastic enough. All seven of them suffocated inside my womb.”
Raising awareness
Ms. Shanko is no longer a supporter of FGM/C, as a result of a series of community dialogues on the physical and psychological harm caused by the practice.
She shared her story with the members of the Pan-African Parliament (PAP) Women’s Caucus, which convened in Addis Ababa late last month to assess the state of FGM/C across Africa – and to learn from the strategies that Ethiopia and other countries have put in place to eliminate it.
A key objective of the visit was to mobilize parliamentarian and state support for the elimination of harmful traditional practices, with a particular emphasis on female genital mutilation. Also on the agenda were ways to raise public awareness of FGM/C through the media; customary laws to introduce sanctions against the practice; and potential avenues for collaboration among various stakeholders in society.
Powerful testimony
The parliamentarians heard powerful testimony from women and men whose lives had been tragically affected by FGM/C.
For Aregash Agegnehu, female circumcision – as the practice is also known – had never been a question of choice. “I was circumcised when I was a child. My daughter had to be cut as well,” she said. “It was inevitable.”
But since participating in in-depth community dialogues on the subject, Ms. Agegnehu no longer believes that FGM/C is a requisite part of being a woman.
“When I started engaging in community dialogue, I came to understand the harm of FGM, and now I have changed,” she said.
Female genital mutilation is widely practiced by Muslims and Christians alike in Ethiopia, and official statistics suggest that almost three-quarters of women here have undergone the procedure. Forms vary widely by region but generally entail either a partial or total removal of the clitoris.
In the most severe form, infibulation, the labia are removed and the genitals sewn shut – barring a small hole for the release of urine and menstrual blood.
The predominant cultural belief is that circumcision is an essential pre-condition of marriage and motherhood. In many communities, an uncircumcised female cannot be recognized as a woman. Some feel that circumcision is a safeguard against promiscuity. Another common belief is that uncircumcised women tend to be inept at carrying out common household duties.
According to the World Health Organization, women who have undergone FGM/C are more likely to suffer from infertility, develop vaginal cysts and have recurrent bladder and urinary tract infections. FGM/C also increases the risk of childbirth complications and newborn deaths. It has no proven health benefits.
Worldwide, between 100 and 140 million girls and women are living with the consequences of FGM/C. In Africa, an estimated 92 million girls aged 10 and over have undergone some form of genital cutting.
Changed attitudes
Many mothers fear that, without circumcision, their daughters will not fulfil the criteria for marriage or gain full acceptance in the community. Indeed, supporters of FGM/C often cite the fact that it is a long-held social norm. But such attitudes are changing. By the end of 2008, four of Ethiopia’s districts had publicly pledged to abandon FGM/C.
Mergieta Temesgen Ashebir, a religious leader who uses his influence to speak out against the practice, also spoke at the PAP conference. “According to the bible,” he said, “circumcision is only for boys, not for girls. There is no verse that states otherwise.”
Hon. Anab Abdulkadir, PAP Acting Chairperson and a member of the Ethiopian Parliament, pointed out the importance of understanding the root causes of FGM/C
“The demand is coming from where?” she asked. “It is coming from men. If there wasn’t a demand, there wouldn’t have been any supply. We have to … outlaw that demand.”
‘Not cast in stone’
UNICEF Representative in Ethiopia Ted Chaiban voiced the need to accelerate and harmonize efforts to abolish FGM/C in Africa.
“There are encouraging signs that the practice of FGM in Ethiopia is declining,” he noted. “We see this mission of the Pan-African Parliament Women’s Caucus as a major opportunity to catalyze and synergize efforts in Ethiopia, and across Africa, towards an intensified and coordinated affront on FGM.”
Added Hon. Fatima Hajaig, a South African parliamentarian: “Cultural norms are not cast in stone. They develop from day to day. Our cultural value system changes as we go along. This business of ‘in the name of culture’ – I can’t accept that.”
UNICEF Ethiopia has been collaborating with partners on a number of advocacy efforts toward abandonment of FGM/C, including training community-dialogue facilitators and disseminating educational materials in various media. The parliamentary mission is the most recent effort in this direction.
ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA (Sudan Tribune) — While Ethiopians mark a new year of 2002, Ethiopia’s regional states of Oromiya and Amhara officials on Friday said that they have freed 9,612 prisoners, including 391 women on amnesty in connection with the New Year.
Among the total prisoners freed 6611 of them were released from the Oromiya region and the rest 2901 are from the Amhara region.
The prisoners were pardoned based on the deep regret they showed, the good behavior they displayed while in prison and also considering their length of stay and old ages. They have all served at least half of their prison terms. But the amnesty grant does not include to those who are jailed on rape, murder or other serious crimes.
Regional officials have called on the freed prisoners to stay away from any criminal acts and to rather payback their community by actively engaging themselves in the economic and developmental endeavors of the country.
Ethiopians are today celebrating the Ethiopian New Year (Enkutatash). The New Year’s Day is celebrated on September 11 towards the end of the big rains.
KIGALI, RWANDA — Rwandair and Ethiopian Airlines have entered into a code share agreement to boost their visibility.
Under two national flag carriers’partnership, Rwandair will serve as the marketing carrier while Ethiopian Airlines will be the operating carrier.
Ethiopian Airlines Vice President Commercial, Mr. Tadesse Adane and Rwandair Chairman, Mr. Gerald Zirimwabagabo recently signed the agreement in Kigali, Rwanda.
“This is a major milestone in the development of Rwandair and the airline industry in our country,” Zirimwabagabo said after signing.
He said the small airline is looking for partnerships that will allow its clients fly beyond its destinations.
The Ethiopian carrier, according to Tadesse, seeks partners to develop and increase its market share in southern Africa, particularly the Rwandan market.
Tadesse said the airline has embarked on helping African small airlines to be competitive and boost the African airline industry. He said currently the carrier flies daily to and from Kigali and that he hopes the new partnership will ‘greatly’ double the flights.
The two airlines are incomparable in both resources and market share but the airlines’ bosses believe they will reap from the partnership.
Rwandair’s code share with Ethiopian Airlines came following similar partnerships with other major airlines including Brussels Airlines, and the USA- based Virgin Atlantic Airlines to boost its visibility.
The airline is also pursuing an ambitious plan to purchase two used CRJ aircraft from Lufthansa, a Germany based carrier, with ambitions to reposition in the regional aviation industry.
Currently Rwandair operates three aircraft on lease while Ethiopian Airlines commands 35 aircraft. Ethiopian Airlines has been crowned the African Airline of Year 2009.
Ethiopian Airlines’ “new” Boeing 737-8AS ET-ANB (msn 29935, ex EI-CSW) is pictured at Lasham before it departed on September 13. [Photo: Antony J. Best]
Ethiopian Airlines operates an all-Boeing fleet of 737 and 767 aircraft.
Last week, Ethiopian Airlines, it acquired its second MD-11 freighter aircraft from the Chicago-based Boeing Corporation.
The airline Management told Business Times that the newly leased aircraft with a payload capacity of 95 tons, 32 pallets and a volume of 513 cubic meters will increase capacity 23 percent following the Airlines code share agreement with Rwandair.
Management said the aircraft will help them serve the newly established markets of Europe and South-East Asia. Currently, Ethiopian airline has a total a fleet of six aircrafts consisting of two, B757-200, two, B747-200 and two MD-11F.
ADDIS ABABA (Reuters) – Ethiopia, Africa’s biggest coffee producer, expects a bumper harvest in 2009/10 thanks to good rains after export revenues fell 28 percent in June/July 2008/09 due to drought and the global economic slowdown.
“Preliminary assessment indicated the country would produce much more than the estimated annual production of 330,000 tonnes in 2009/10,” Tarekgne Tisgie, a spokesman for the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, told Reuters on Wednesday.
The Horn of Africa nation exported 133,992 tonnes of beans worth $376 million in 2008/09, down sharply from 170,888 tonnes that earned $525.2 million the previous season, officials say.
“The volume exported and income generated was markedly less than last year due to the global economic crisis and drought which affected some parts of the country,” Tarekgne said.
Ethiopia’s coffee sector got a major boost last week when Japan said it was willing to resume importing large quantities as long as the authorities in Addis Ababa guaranteed the quality and safety of the beans.
Tokyo stopped buying Ethiopian coffee in 2006/07 after beans were found to contain harmful chemicals. Japan had bought more than 29,000 tonnes worth $84 million during that 2006/07 season.
“The problems that we had with Japan are nearly over,” Tarekgne said, adding the Ethiopian government hoped to export as much as 30,000 tonnes to Japanese buyers in 2009/10.
Ethiopia prides itself as the birthplace of coffee. Some 15 million smallholder farmers grow the beans, mostly in the misty forested highlands of its western and southwestern regions.
ADDIS ABABA (ethiopolitics.com) — Beyoncé Knowles, the 28-year old world famous R&B singer and Hollywood actress, will not be coming to perform in Addis Abeba, reliable sources disclosed.
The sensational performer, honored as Billboard Woman of the Year on August 25, 2009, had agreed to come to Addis Ababa for her second performance scheduled for October 31, 2009. It was meant to be part of her third world tour, including to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), where she was scheduled to come from.
The deal to bring her to Addis was negotiated between the singer’s management company, run by her father, Matthew Knowles and New Way Inc., a Virginia based company owned by Dereje Yesuwork (Jambi) and his partner Endalkachew Tekeste.
Dereje is one of the closest associates of Sheikh Mohammed Hussein Ali Al-Amoudi who would have paid one million dollars for her performance in Addis Abeba, and an additional 150,000 dollars to charter an aircraft for close to 90 members of her team, reliable sources disclosed.
The concert was planned to be held inside the Millennium Hall on African Avenue (Bole Road), and organized locally by Addis Parks Management Plc, a subsidiary of MIDROC Ethiopia. Addis Park promotes such events and sells tickets to the public.
However, negotiations have fallen apart following a disagreement over live broadcasting rights of the concert, said these sources. Beyonce’s manager has agreed to let live broadcastings of only five songs from two-hour performance, according to sources. Compared to the one song broadcasted live during her dazzling first performance in Addis in October 2007, where she was paid 1.75 million dollars, this may sound an improvement.
The Sheikh was not happy, nevertheless.
“Mohammed has agreed to bring her back to Addis only if the entire concert is transmitted live by ETV to the Ethiopian public,” Dereje confirmed to Fortune.
It is a statement reinforced by Jean-Pierre Manigoff, general manager of Sheraton Addis, the hotel owned by Sheikh Al-Amoudi, and subcontracted by Addis Park to provide hospitality services.
“Sheikh Mohammed loves and respects the Ethiopian people,” Manigoff said. “He would want the show to be accessible for all through broadcasting.”
Live transmissions of concerts by internationally acclaimed bands such as Black Eyed Peas, and Kool and the Gang, as well as performers like Wyclef Jean and Papa Wemba were made after organizers enter into a separate deal with the performers, disclosed these sources. However, Sony Music Entertainment has reserved copy rights over broadcastings of Beyoncé’s shows.
Aregash Agegnehu, shown here with her daughter, is a former practitioner of female genital mutilation/cutting who has renounced it. [© UNICEF Ethiopia/2009/Zeleman]
Hon. Anab Abdulkadir, Pan-African Parliament Acting Chairperson and a member of the Ethiopian Parliament, underwent FGM/C as a child. She is now an outspoken opponent of the practice. [© UNICEF Ethiopia/2009/Zeleman]
ADDIS ABABA (