The Ethiopian Human Rights Commission (EHRC) announced the increasing of threats, intimidation, and sexual harassment against female students with the perpetrators identified as both teachers and fellow students.
In its latest report released Tuesday, the commission said the intimidations are more severe in the Amhara and Oromia regions which have faced unfolding conflict for two years.
‘Some schools impose punishments causing physical and psychological harm, while ongoing conflicts between armed groups and government forces have further endangered students in these regions,” EHRC said in a report.
The report came after the EHRC had monitored both public and private schools in the capital Addis Ababa, Afar, Amhara, Gambella, Oromia and Southern Ethiopia regions.
According to the commission, overcrowded classrooms, absence of school clinics and first aid kits, and shortages of health professionals, the lack of child protection and anti-discrimination policies have aggravated the intimidation against female students.
The commission said it has also identified the presence of khat, Shisha, and pool houses near some schools, as well as the absence of a child-friendly grievance system, as serious human rights concerns negatively impacting learning.
A UNICEF report, however, indicated that more than nine million children are out of school in Ethiopia as a result of ongoing conflicts, displacement, and natural disasters.
The highest numbers were recorded in the Amhara region with 4.4 million, Oromia with 3.2 million, and Tigray with 1.2 million children.
The report further noted that over 6,000 schools across the country have been closed and more than 10,000 others damaged or destroyed, severely disrupting access to education.
MG/as/APA