From: Agenda setting and socially contentious policies: Ethiopia’s 2005 reform of its law on abortion
Ethiopian government | EPRDF government comes to power | National policies on Population, Women, and Health issued | Enactment of Federal Constitution (Articles 25, 35 on women’s rights) | Women’s Affairs Standing Committee of the House holds workshop on Penal Code | •Parliamentarians direct Ministry of Justice (MOJ) to propose revisions to 1957 Penal Code •Revised Family Code goes into effect •Release of two executive branch drafts of new Penal Code with no change related to abortion | •Two draft Penal Code reform versions from MOJ & FILR (Federal Institute of Legal Reform) sent to Parliament •FILR releases amended draft Penal Code proposing decriminalization of abortion •Government—NGO AdvocacyWorking Group (AWG) convened •Regional meetings on Penal Code reform with AWG contributions | •Senior executive branch policy committee votes to decriminalize abortion •Parliament directs Legal Affairs committee to seek input from public and experts and reconcile executive branch Penal Code drafts •Week-long workshop for full Parliament on RH and HTP issues in draft Penal Code | •“Silent Scream” screened for full Parliament •Revised Penal Code approved without debate | •New Penal Code goes into effect •National elections—crackdown on opposition | MOH Technical Guidance on Abortion issued | Enforcement begins of Civil Society Organizations Law restricting NGO advocacy | ||||||||
Ethiopian civil society | •Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians & Gynecologists (ESOG) founded •Ethiopian Midwives Association (EMwA) founded | ESOG 2nd Annual Meeting topic: unsafe abortion | Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA) founded | ESOG 7th Annual Meeting topic: "Illegal and Unsafe Abortion" | EWLA workshops held on FGM and development of Penal Code reform recommendations | Televised symposium on unsafe abortion ESOG, WALTA Information Center | •ESOG research and reform recommendations released •ESOG President publicly calls for liberalization of the abortion law | •Anti-abortion demonstrations in Addis •EOC Patriarch condemns any liberalization of the law | |||||||||||
National/ International | Ethiopian President opens International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) | Kenyan ob-gyn presents to ESOG on abortion law reform | Ramp up of Packard Foundation funding for reproductive health | Ipas establishes office in Addis | Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia refuses to sign GGR, is barred from receiving US funding | ||||||||||||||
International activities and actors | International Safe Motherhood conference in nearby Nairobi | International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD) in Cairo | Fourth International Conference on Women (Beijing) | U.S. Mexico City Policy (Global Gag Rule or GGR) reinstituted, barring support to non-US NGOs in any way involved with abortion | U.S. Mexico City Policy/ GGR rescinded | ||||||||||||||
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