Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association Abruptly Closed by Government

September 26, 2001

UPDATE:

WLP is pleased to report that on October 17, 2001 the Ethiopian Ministry of Justice lifted the suspension imposed on EWLA thanks to the extensive international response from individual activists and women's organizations from across the world. Thank you very much for your solidarity and quick action.

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

The Women's Learning Partnership for Rights, Development, and Peace (WLP) joins our colleagues and partners in Ethiopia in encouraging you to give support to the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA), an independent women’s organization working to defend women's human rights and improve civil society throughout Ethiopia. In early September 2001, the Ethiopian government abruptly terminated EWLA’s work and froze its bank accounts.

EWLA was established in 1995 and has labored through legal channels to defend the rights of women by providing legal services to battered, raped, and abducted women, and to those suffering from all forms of violence. EWLA has advocated revision of gender-insensitive articles in Ethiopian law. One of the major successes of its advocacy efforts was the revision of the Civil Code, as a result of which a new Family Law was passed by the Ethiopian parliament. EWLA is non-political and has worked cooperatively with government agencies. This sudden measure by the government appears to be a warning to all civil society organizations in Ethiopia. To date, the government has not provided any substantive reason for suspending the organization.

Please act in solidarity with EWLA by sending a letter to the officials listed below. Please send copies of your appeal to ewla@telecom.net.et in Ethiopia.

Thank you for your support,
Women's Learning Partnership for Rights, Development, and Peace

PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:

H.E. Prime Minister Meles Zenawi
The Federal Government of Ethiopia
P.O. Box 1031
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fax: 251-1-552-020

H.E. Mr Worede Wold Wolde
Minister of Justice
P.O. Box 1370
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Fax: 251-1-517-775

Cc:

Mary Robinson
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights
United Nations
Avenue de la Paix, 814-1211
Geneva 10, Switzerland
Fax: 41-22-917-02-45

Claire l'Heureux-Dubé
President
International Commission of Jurists (ICJ)
Centre for the Independence of Judges and Lawyers
81A, Avenue de Châtelaine
P.O. Box 216
CH-1219 Châtelaine
Geneva, Switzerland
Fax: 41-22-979-38-01 or -04