DƆNÙESÈ Data Center / Women’s Rights Laws by Country / Ethiopia
East Africa · Country law profile
Ethiopia: women’s rights and civic space laws
The 1995 FDRE Constitution guarantees equality and specific rights for women (Articles 25 and 35), and women held 42% of seats in the House of Peoples’ Representatives after the 2021 election. The Revised Family Code of 2000 sets the marriage age at 18 but allows exceptions from 16. The 2005 Criminal Code criminalises FGM and other harmful practices. Yet Ethiopia has no comprehensive law on gender-based violence, and marital rape is not criminalised. FGM prevalence is reported at 65% and early marriage at 40%. The CIVICUS Monitor downgraded Ethiopia to ‘closed’ in December 2024 because of armed conflict and state-of-emergency measures.
At a glance
| Capital | Addis Ababa |
|---|
Key indicators
42%Women in parliament (% House of Peoples’ Representatives) (2021)
18Minimum legal age of marriage (2025)
40%Early marriage rate (2025)
65% (down from 75%)FGM prevalence (2025)
30.4%Women in Cabinet (2025)
80.0 / 100World Bank Women, Business and the Law 1.0 index (2024)
60.0 / 100World Bank Women, Business and the Law 2.0 legal frameworks (2024)
Regional and international treaties
| Treaty | Status | Reservations or notes |
|---|---|---|
| Maputo Protocol | Ratified 18 July 2018 (per ACHPR) | |
| Kampala Convention | Ratified June 2020 through Proclamation No. 1187/2020 |
Constitution
| Constitution | Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, 1995 |
|---|---|
| Equality guarantees | Article 25 guarantees equality and non-discrimination; Article 35 sets out the rights of women; Articles 37, 78 and 79 guarantee access to justice; Article 9(4) gives ratified treaties the force of domestic law; Article 40 protects property rights |
National laws
Gender-based and domestic violence
No comprehensive law on gender-based violence
Violence against women is addressed through general Criminal Code provisions. Ethiopia told the CEDAW Committee in 2021 that a comprehensive assessment was completed and a new law was being developed.
Gaps: The CEDAW Committee found existing laws insufficient; domestic violence provisions are lacking and penalties are too lenient.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org, ohchr.org
Rape and sexual offences
Criminal Code of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, 2005
Criminalises rape and other sexual offences.
Gaps: Marital rape is not criminalised; the government said in 2021 that penalties and provisions were under review.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org, ohchr.org
Female genital mutilation
Criminal Code, 2005 (harmful traditional practices provisions, Articles 561 to 570)
Criminalises FGM and other harmful traditional practices.
Gaps: Enforcement is weak; FGM prevalence is still reported at 65% (down from 75%).
Source: digitallibrary.un.org, achpr.au.int
Harmful practices
Criminal Code, 2005, Articles 561 to 570, and the National Costed Roadmap to end child marriage and FGM (2019)
Criminal provisions on harmful traditional practices are backed by a national costed roadmap adopted in 2019. Justice officials in high-prevalence regions have received training.
Gaps: The ACHPR calls for targeted awareness work in rural communities where implementation gaps persist.
Source: digitallibrary.un.org, achpr.au.int
Child marriage and age of marriage
Revised Family Code, 2000, Article 7
Sets the minimum age of marriage at 18 for women and men.
Gaps: The age can be lowered to 16 on request with Ministry of Justice permission; the ACHPR urged repeal of this exception. Early marriage is reported at 40%.
Source: achpr.au.int
Family and personal status
Revised Family Code, 2000 (federal)
Federal family law described by Ethiopia as aligned with international standards; regional states adopt their own family codes.
Gaps: In 2019 the delegation said family law had been extended to all regions except two.
Source: ohchr.org
Land and property
Addis Ababa Directive No. 3/2019 on low-cost housing
Reserves 30% of low-cost housing in Addis Ababa for women.
Source: achpr.au.int
Abortion and sexual and reproductive health
Criminal Code, 2005 (provisions on termination of pregnancy)
Permits abortion in cases of rape or incest. It is also permitted where the pregnancy endangers the life or health of the woman.
Source: achpr.au.int
Girls’ education
Education and Training Policy, 2022
Sets compulsory schooling from age 6 to 16.
Gaps: Gaps in enforcement and access for rural and displaced girls; the ACHPR urged measures to ensure equal access.
Source: achpr.au.int
Political participation and quotas
Ethiopian Electoral, Political Parties Registration and Elections Code of Conduct Proclamation No. 1162/2019
Requires gender-sensitive party policies and gives financial incentives for women’s participation.
Gaps: Women’s share of Cabinet posts fell from 50% to 30.4%.
Source: achpr.au.int
Labour and maternity
Federal Civil Servants Proclamation (2018)
Extended maternity leave in the civil service to four months and includes equal pay provisions. It also requires workplace childcare facilities.
Gaps: Applies to the civil service only.
Source: ohchr.org, achpr.au.int
Labour and maternity
Overseas Employment Proclamation No. 1246/2021
Promotes safe labour migration for Ethiopian workers abroad, many of them women domestic workers.
Gaps: Ethiopia has not ratified ILO Convention 189 on domestic workers.
Source: achpr.au.int
Trafficking
Proclamation No. 1178/2020
Explicitly prohibits slavery and servitude, according to the ACHPR; Directive No. 969/2023 set up a task force for reintegration of returnee migrants.
Source: achpr.au.int
Online violence and cybercrime
Prevention and Suppression of Hate Speech and Disinformation Proclamation No. 1185/2020
Criminalises hate speech and disinformation, including online.
Gaps: The ACHPR stressed that restrictions on expression for security reasons must respect justifiable limits.
Source: achpr.au.int
Access to justice and legal aid
Proclamation No. 1224/2020 (reform of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission)
Strengthened the independence of the national human rights commission, which regained GANHRI ‘A’ status.
Gaps: The ACHPR recommended stronger legal aid for women.
Source: achpr.au.int
Older persons
Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Older Persons (ratified June 2020)
Ethiopia ratified the AU protocol on older persons.
Gaps: No national law on older persons identified; the ACHPR urged finalising the national action plan and aligning the definition of older person with age 60.
Source: achpr.au.int
Women and girls with disabilities
Addis Ababa Directive No. 3/2019 (housing quota)
Reserves 5% of low-cost housing for persons with disabilities.
Gaps: Ethiopia has not ratified the AU Disability Protocol and gave no disaggregated data on women with disabilities.
Source: achpr.au.int
Human rights defenders
Organizations of Civil Society Proclamation No. 1113/2019
Replaced the restrictive Proclamation No. 621/2009 and widened space for civil society organisations.
Gaps: Implementation is weak; there is no specific law protecting human rights defenders, which the ACHPR has recommended.
Source: achpr.au.int, ohchr.org
Civic space
| CIVICUS Monitor rating | Closed (score 20), downgraded from repressed in December 2024 |
|---|---|
| NGO and association law | Organizations of Civil Society Proclamation No. 1113/2019 |
| Press and media law | Mass Media Proclamation No. 1238/2021, which ends pre-trial detention for journalists for media offences; the ACHPR urges full respect of this and decriminalisation of defamation |
| Human rights defenders law | None; the ACHPR has recommended a specific HRD protection law since 2015 |
| Public order and counter-terrorism | Prevention and Suppression of Terrorism Crimes Proclamation No. 1176/2020; state-of-emergency measures |
| Notes | CIVICUS cites continuing armed conflict and state-of-emergency measures. The ACHPR raised reprisals against national human rights commission staff and recommended an effective notification regime for assemblies. |
Recent developments
- February 2019. The CEDAW Committee reviewed Ethiopia’s eighth periodic report; the delegation acknowledged the lack of a comprehensive GBV law.
- 2019. The Organizations of Civil Society Proclamation No. 1113/2019 replaced the 2009 CSO law.
- June 2020. Ethiopia ratified the Kampala Convention and the AU Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons.
- 17 April 2024. A National Transitional Justice Policy was adopted; the ACHPR asks for specific measures on gender-based violence within it.
- December 2024. CIVICUS downgraded Ethiopia’s civic space to closed.
- 2025. The ACHPR adopted concluding observations on Ethiopia’s 7th to 10th periodic reports at its 84th Ordinary Session.
Reforms recommended
Reforms recommended by the African Commission, UN treaty bodies or national organisations, as reported in the sources below.
- Adopt a comprehensive law on gender-based violence that criminalises marital rape and domestic violence.
- Repeal the exception allowing marriage at 16 under Article 7 of the Revised Family Code.
- Strengthen free legal aid for women and survivors of violence.
- Adopt a specific law protecting human rights defenders and ensure a notification regime for assemblies.
- Ratify the AU Convention on Ending Violence Against Women and Girls and the AU Disability Protocol.
Being verified. RFLD is checking the laws on the following topics against official texts and will add them to this page: sexual harassment, inheritance and succession, social protection, nationality, data protection, same-sex relations. Corrections and documents are welcome at programs@rflgd.org.
African Union treaties
Status of 29 African Union treaties as recorded in the official AU status lists published by the African Union Commission. The date of each list is shown: a ratification deposited after that date may not appear yet. 8 of the 13 human rights and governance treaties below are ratified.
| AU treaty | Status | AU list dated |
|---|---|---|
| Maputo Protocol (rights of women) | Ratified 18/07/2018 | 19/09/2023 |
| African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights | Ratified 15/06/1998 | 15/06/2017 |
| African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child | Ratified 02/10/2002 | 14/02/2023 |
| Protocol establishing the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights | Signed 1998, not ratified | 14/02/2023 |
| African Charter on Democracy, Elections and Governance | Ratified 05/12/2008 | 08/07/2024 |
| AU Convention on Ending Violence against Women and Girls | Not signed | 22/05/2026 |
| Protocol on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities | Not signed | 22/05/2026 |
| Protocol on the Rights of Older Persons | Ratified 03/06/2020 | 22/05/2026 |
| Protocol on Social Protection and Social Security | Not signed | 22/05/2026 |
| African Youth Charter | Ratified 13/02/2014 | 19/09/2023 |
| OAU Refugee Convention | Ratified 15/10/1973 | 16/05/2019 |
| AU Convention on Preventing and Combating Corruption | Ratified 18/09/2007 | 14/02/2023 |
| AU Convention on Cyber Security and Personal Data Protection (Malabo) | Not signed | 02/02/2026 |
Other AU treaties (16)
Sources (6)
- achpr.au.int · concluding observations ethiopia 7th 10th periodic report…
- wbl.worldbank.org · WBL2024 Economy Scores
- digitallibrary.un.org · CEDAW C ETH FCO 8 EN
- ohchr.org · committee elimination discrimination against women consid…
- monitor.civicus.org · africa
- achpr.au.int · coethiopia7th 10thperiodicreports2015 2023
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Information verified as of October 2026. This page is for information and advocacy and is not legal advice. Laws change: check the official text before relying on it. Part of the DƆNÙESÈ Data Center of the Women Leaders Network for Development (RFLD). See also the Maputo Protocol Hub and the Maputo Barometer.