Binyam Tamene
14 November 2008
Addis Abeba — Development strategies that are sensitive to cultural values can reduce harmful practices against women and promote human rights, a new UN report said.
World Population 2008 report, Reaching Common Ground: Culture, Gender and Human Rights, launched on Wednesday, indicated that culture is a central component of successful development of poor countries, and must be integrated into development policy and programming.
Based on a concept on the international human rights framework, the report endorsed culturally sensitive approaches to development and to the promotion of human rights, in general, and women's rights, in particular.
UNFPA Representative to Ethiopia Monique Rakotomalala said gender inequality remains widespread and deep-rooted in many cultures, especially here in Ethiopia.
"Therefore, culturally sensitive approaches to development are critical for the realization of human rights in general, and of women's rights in particular," said the representative lunching the report here.
Culturally sensitive approaches urged for cultural fluency and familiarity with how cultures work, and how to work with them.
Indicating values and practices that infringe human rights can be found in all cultures, the State of World Population, however, said understanding cultural realities can reveal the most effective ways to challenge these harmful cultural practices and strengthen beneficial ones.
For the approach to work, it suggested that partnerships, between UNFPA and community-based institutions and leaders, so as to create effective strategies to promote human rights and end their abuses.
According to UNFPA, coercive power relations underlie practices such as child marriage, a leading cause of obstetric fistula and maternal death, and female genital mutilation or cutting.
These and other harmful practices continue in many countries despite laws against them said the report.
Speaking the context of Ethiopia, Genet Mengistu, Head of Population Department in MoFED, underscored the need to for integrating country's culture custom, norms and alues to the national development plan, PASDEP, which is aligned to the Millennium Development Goals.
"There has been a considerable discussion at various levels and community conversations on how to address the cultural issues, particularly that affects the reproductive health and rights of Ethiopian women" In Ethiopia there are more than 80 nation and nationalities with enormous traditional norms, values and practices.
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