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Miserete Hiwot : hope for young wives of Ethiopia
Amhara Province in Ethiopia is home to on of the world's highest levels of early marriage. 80 per cent of girls under 18 are married, the vast majority live with their in-laws by the age of 12. In these poor communities married girls often drop oput of school, instead staying at home to take care of housework. Only rarely do they complete more than two years of school, with many never learning to read or write.
That's why the Ethiopian government has decided to declare war on what they see as a bygone practice. We followed a programme set up by Ethiopia's Ministry of Women, Children and Youth, in partnership with USAID and the Population Council. The course aims to teach young girls about health, hygiene and marital life.
The programme originally aimed to tackle HIV, passed on to the young girls by promiscuous husbands. But today it means so much to them, allowing the girls a better quality of life, as well as a degree of education.
That's why the Ethiopian government has decided to declare war on what they see as a bygone practice. We followed a programme set up by Ethiopia's Ministry of Women, Children and Youth, in partnership with USAID and the Population Council. The course aims to teach young girls about health, hygiene and marital life.
The programme originally aimed to tackle HIV, passed on to the young girls by promiscuous husbands. But today it means so much to them, allowing the girls a better quality of life, as well as a degree of education.
In January 2012 on France 24