ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES SEXUAL A BUSE A MONG F EMALE S TREET CHILDREN: T HE CAS E OF L IDETA S UB CIT Y, ADDIS ABABA BY YILMA HIRPA SEPTEMBER, 2007 ADDIS ABABA SEXUAL ABUSE AMONG FEMALE STREET CHILDREN: THE CASE OF LIDETA SUB CITY, ADDIS ABABA A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE INSTITUTE OF GENDER STUDIES ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS IN GENDER STUDIES BY YILAM HIRPA SEPTEMBER, 2007 ADDIS ABABA UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES INSTITUTE OF GENDER STUDIES SEXUAL ABUSE AMONG FEMALE STREET CHILDREN: THE CASE OF LIDETA SUB CITY, ADDIS ABABA BY YILAM HIRPA Approved by Board of Examiners: Name Signature Date Advisor ________________ __________ _________ Examiner ________________ __________ _________ Internal Examiner ________________ __________ _________ Acknowledgements I would like to offer my sincere thanks to my academic advisor Dr. Mulumebet Zenebe, who has provided me valuable comments and continuous assistance till the end of this study. Her suggestions, encouragement and patience, I am sure, have resulted in significant improvements. I would like also to thank leader of Lideta Sub City Social and NGO Affair Office, executive director and workers of Love for Children Organizations, representatives of Lideta Sub City Child Protection Unit, representative of Keblele 01/18 in Lideta Sub City, for their assistance and kind co-operation in this work. I am grateful to street educators from LCO who have assisted me in different stages of data collection. I would further like to thank my friends at St. Mary’s University College who have provided invaluable support and encouragement during my difficult time. I am profoundly grateful to all my families for their unlimited support all the time. Finally, I would like to thank all the children, who have had the courage to share their deepest and darkest secrets with me and the key informants who have spared their time to provide information. I Acronyms ACRWC- African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child AIDS- Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome BoFED- Bureau of Finance and Economic Development BoSCA- Bureau of Social and Civil Authority RSVACSA - Regional study on Violence against Children in South Asia CRC- Convention on the Right of the Child CFDRE Constitution of Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia FGD- Focus Group Discussion FSCE- Forum on Street Children- Ethiopia HIV- Human Immunodeficiency Virus HRW- Human Right Watch JJPO- Juvenile Justice Project Office LCO- Love for Children Organization MOLSA- Ministry of Labor and Social Affair NASW - National Association of Social Workers NCTPE- National committee on Traditional Practices of Ethiopia OAU- Organization of African Union STI- Sexually Transmitted Infection UN- United Nations UNICEF- United Nation Children Fund WHO- World Health Organizations II Abstract Sexual abuse of children is one of the most brutal forms of violence against children, because the risks are real. Some researches indicate that it is a common place and a serious problem among female children who are living and working on the street. However, this atrocious problem was explored with other issues like socio-economic conditions of female street children with little emphasis of identifying forms, causes and consequences in detail way. The main research questions addressed in this study were: What are the causes/risk factors associated with it? What are the consequences of sexual abuse among female street children? In order to answer these questions, qualitative data collection method pertaining to different objectives of the study such as in-depth interview with 17 female street children, focus group discussion and key informant interviews were used. The study revealed that female children drifted away from home and school to street way of life was due to interrelated and complex problems. They engaged in doing different activities on the street that make them vulnerable and victims of problems including various forms of sexual abuse by diverse categories of people. Rape, prostitution, unwanted kissing, breast fondling and anal sex were reported as forms of sexual abuse among female street children. In this study, female street children existences on the street and gender socialization were prominent issues that have emerged as the causes of sexual abuse. As a consequence of their involvement on street life which in turn makes them available for easy prey by different abusers, they were victims of various forms of sexual abuse. Besides, due to gender socialization pattern in patriarchal society that creates boys/men to be active, strong, aggressive and dominant against women and children are found as a cause for various forms of sexual abuse. Poverty, luck of support and protection, migration and trafficking, being drug and alcohol addicted, HIV/AIDS epidemic etc. were also explored. The findings further reveal that sexual abuses of female street children have a long lasting damaging effect on children’s life in terms of physical and mental health. Female street children face short term and long lasting psychological consequences. Moreover, physical and verbal abuses are reported in this study as part and parcel of the problem of various forms of sexual abuse among female street children. III Table of Contents Page Acknowledgements....................................................................................................... I Acronyms....................................................................................................................... II Abstract......................................................................................................................... III CHAPTER I.................................................................................................................. 1 1.1- Introduction........................................................................................................... 1 1.2- Statement of the problem..................................................................................... 4 1.3- Research questions............................................................................................... 6 1.4- Objectives of the study........................................................................................ 6 1.5- Significances of the study..................................................................................... 7 1.6- Definitions of basic concepts and terms............................................................... 7 1.7- Organization of the thesis................................................................................... 9 CHAPTER II: REVIEW OF RELATED LITRATURE......................................... 10 2.1- What is child sexual abuse? ............................................................................... 10 2.2- Forms of child sexual abuse................................................................................ 11 2.3- Feminist perspective to child sexual abuse........................................................ 15 2.4- Consequences of sexual abuse of children......................................................... 17 2.5- Legal protection of children against sexual abuse............................................... 19 2.6- The situation of street children............................................................................ 22 CHAPTER III: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY..................................................... 26 3.1- The study design.................................................................................................. 26 3.2- The study area...................................................................................................... 27 3.3- Source of data...................................................................................................... 27 3.3.1- Female street children.......................................................................... 28 3.3.2- Key informants and Organizations...................................................... 29 3.4- Instruments and Methods of data collection......................................................... 30 3.4.1- In-depth interview.................................................................................. 30 3.4.2- Focus Group Discussion........................................................................ 32 3.4.3- Key informants Interview....................................................................... 33 3.5- Negotiating relationships and Ethical issues........................................................... 34 3.6- Problems encountered during the research process................................................ 36 3.7- Data organization and analysis............................................................................... 37 IV CHAPTER IV: FINDING AND ANALYSIS................................................................ 39 4.1- Working conditions and reasons for being a street child....................................... 39 4.1.1- Working conditions of female street children......................................... 39 4.1.2- Reasons for being a street child............................................................... 42 4.2- Forms of sexual abuse among female street children.............................................. 53 4.3- Causes and risk factors for sexual abuse of female street children.......................... 65 4.4- Consequences of sexual abuse among female street children................................