# Women's health in Ethiopia

Part of a series on :
Women's health :
Symbol of women's health :
Reproductive and sexual health
Reproductive health
Reproductive tract
External female genitalia
Clitoris
Clitoral hood
Labia minora
Labia majora
Vagina
Cervix
Uterus
Fallopian tube
Ovary
Reproductive system disease
Maternal health
Pregnancy
Unintended pregnancy
Gravidity and parity
Obstetrics
Obstetrics and gynaecology
Antenatal care
Adolescent pregnancy
Complications of pregnancy
Hyperemesis gravidarum
Ectopic pregnancy
Miscarriage
Obstetrical bleeding
Gestational diabetes
Excessive gestational weight gain
Hypertension
Preeclampsia
Eclampsia
Childbirth
Midwifery
Preterm birth
Multiple births
Oxytocin
Obstructed labor
Cesarian section
Retained placenta
Obstetrical fistulae
Vesicovaginal fistula
Rectovaginal fistula
Postpartum care
Maternal deaths
Perinatal mortality
Stillbirths
Abortion
Mother-to-child transmission
Sterilization
Compulsory sterilization
Reproductive life plan
Infertility
Childlessness
Assisted reproductive technology
In vitro fertilization
Parenting
Adoption
Fostering
Contraception & Family planning
Safe sex
Intrauterine devices
Oral contraceptives
Hormonal contraception
Tubal ligation
Male contraceptive
Condoms
Contraceptive prevalence
Contraceptive security
Planned parenthood
Menstruation
Menarche
Menstrual cycle
Menstrual aids
Tampons
Sanitary pads
Dysmenorrhea
Menorrhagia
Amenorrhoea
Menopause
Hormone replacement therapy
Sexual health
Sexually transmitted infections
HIV
Human papilloma virus
HPV vaccine
Pelvic inflammatory disease
Female genital cutting
Clitoridectomy
Infibulation
Child marriage
Forced marriage
Polygamy
Sexual intercourse
Orgasm
Dyspareunia
Other
Sex differences
Sex education
Puberty
Breast health
Gynaecological disorders
Vaginitis :
Non-reproductive health
Violence against women
Domestic violence
Intimate partner violence
Misogyny
Sexual harassment
Sexual assault
Rape
Femicide
Gender discrimination
Non-communicable diseases
Gynecologic cancer
Lung cancer
Breast cancer
Uterine cancer
Endometrial cancer
Cervical cancer
Papanicolaou test
Ovarian cancer
Cardiovascular disease
Dementia
Alzheimer's disease
Bone health
Osteoporosis
Hip fracture
Autoimmune disease
Anaemia
Other
Mental health
Anxiety
Depression
Major depressive disorder
Urinary tract
Urethra
Urinary tract infection
Urinary incontinence :
Sociocultural factors
Poverty
Disadvantaged
Gender equality
Healthcare inequality
Gender disparities in health
Social determinants of health
Reproductive justice
Women's empowerment :
Politics, research & advocacy
United Nations
Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women
Declaration on the Elimination of Violence Against Women
International Day of the Girl Child
Commission on the Status of Women
UN Women
United States
Office of Research on Women's Health
Women's Health Initiative
International Center for Research on Women
Nurses' Health Study
Black Women's Health Study
Cartwright Inquiry
Society for Women's Health Research :
Women's health by country
Women's health in China
Women's health in Ethiopia
Women's health in India
(Family planning)
Birth control in the United States
Reproductive health in the United States :
vte :
Women's health in Ethiopia can be broken down into several sections: general health status, women's status, maternal health, HIV, harmful traditional practices, and violence against women.

## Background

Ethiopia is the oldest independent and second most-populous country in Africa. A projection from the 2007 census, it has a total of 90 million inhabitants in 2015 (CSA 2015).
The sex ratio between male and female is almost equal; women in the reproductive age group constitute 23.4% of the population. The total fertility rate declined from 5.5 in 2000 to 4.1 in 2014.

## General health status in Ethiopia

The average life expectancy for an Ethiopian has increased from 45 years in 1990 to 64 years in 2014, which is higher than the African average (58 years) but lower than the global average of 70 years. This makes Ethiopia one of the six countries that made top individual gains since 1990. The achievement is attributed to the dramatic drop in the under five mortality (U5MR) and an improvement in other socio-economic determinants of health. The U5MR has dropped from 204/1000 live births in 1990 to 64/1000 live births in 2013, the target for achieving MDG4 being 67/1000 live births. Thus Ethiopian has achieved the MDG 4 by the year 2013 well ahead of the proposed time for 2015.

## Women's status in Ethiopia

In Ethiopia, women of reproductive age constitute about a quarter of the entire population of 90 million. Around 80% of the labor force is engaged in agriculture, and 84% live in rural parts of the country. Poverty is multidimensional, and its impact is different on men and women. 43% of rural women aged 10 years and above are economically active, mostly in agriculture.
* Women in Ethiopia highly contribute for the development of livestock production. But they have very little control on the income. According to the federal civil service commission report in 2005, only 33% of the civil servants were women and 98.2% of women employees were working in lower position. At federal level only 13% of the women were at professional level. In the Informal sector, however, 64.93% are women concentrated in a low paying job.
* Women in Ethiopia are engaged with the triple role of production, reproduction and household duties. On an average a rural woman will spend 15 – 18 hours a day on agricultural and domestic activities.
* Eleven percent of women are married to a man with more than one wife and Sixty-three percent of women in Ethiopia are married by age 18, compared with just 14% of men Gender difference on age at first sex• 62% women and 18% of men age 25-49 were sexually active by the age of 18, i.e., Women start sexual activity about four and a half years earlier than men (median age of 16.6 years for women and 21.2 years for men)

## Maternal health

Good progress has been registered in maternal mortality reduction, a 69% reduction according to UN estimates from the 1400/100000 live births in 1990 to 420/100,000 live births in 2013.
Maternal wellbeing is crucial for the nations development. Majority of maternal deaths occur in the peripartum period. Deliveries attended by a skilled health care provider were shown to improve both maternal and neonatal survival. In Ethiopian most of the deliveries occur at home and unattended by skilled provider
Obstetric fistulas remains a leading health concern for women throughout Ethiopia.The ending of obstetric fistulas has been named as a Sustainable development need for Ethiopia and a plan is in place with an achievement goal of 2030. It has been found that by furthering the age of first pregnancy, can play a major role in limiting the occurrence of fistulas. Child marriage is a prevalent practice, most commonly in South Asia and Sub Saharan Africa. In Ethiopia, child marriage which is identified as anyone under the age of 18, exists at a rate of 40.3 percent as of 2016. The prevalence of this practice increases the chances of exposure to sexual abuse, partner violence, and lessens exposure to educational and economic opportunities. The concern for obstetric fistulas exceeds its medical ramifications, but is also identified in increased ostracization of those with fistulas due to its social stigma.
The main contributing risk factor for obstetric fistulas remains lack of awareness of fistulas and how to treat them. Amongst other risk factors including no skilled birth attendants, poor health-seeking behavior, poor referral system and transportation network, age and physical maturity, iatrogenic surgical damage, Educational status, sexual violence , poverty, and having child births too close together.
Obstetric fistulas if left untreated risk life long morbidity as well as possible psychological, social, and economic consequences. Currently the Hamlin Fistula Organization has five hospitals throughout Ethiopia and employs over 500 Ethiopians.

## Women and HIV

HIV Sero – prevalence in adults aged between 15–49 years in Ethiopia is estimated at 1.5% [5.5% urban, 0.7% rural]. However, the prevalence in women is about double than the prevalence in men, 1.9% versus 1%, respectively.

## Harmful traditional practices

Seventy four percent of women had a FGM out of which, 6% have their vaginas sewn closed. Around 8% of all marriages occur after through abduction.

## Violence against women

The most common forms of violence against women in Ethiopia include physical violence (intimate partner violence) and sexual violence. A study done in Kofele, (Oromia region, Arsi, Ethiopia) in 2004 showed the lifetime and the 12 months prevalence of physical violence among married women was 64% and 55%, respectively. Another study performed in North-west Ethiopia (Dabat High school) in 2005 revealed that sexual harassment was seen in 44% of the students and rape was experienced by 33.3% of sexually active students.
At the tertiary level of education the sexual violence was also alarmingly high as this was also confirmed by a study conducted at Addis Ababa University in 2004 on more than 600 students, where sexual harassment was experienced by 58% in life time and 41.8% in the last one year, rape was experienced by 12.7% of the students, and 27.5% of the student had escaped an attempted rape.