By Yellibenwork Ayele

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Tuesday launched a 2.7 million Euro program that aims to reduce violence against women.

The program, which will be implemented in a period of three years and managed by the UNFPA, will strengthen an enabling environment that reduces violence against women in Ethiopia, said Monique Rakotomalala, UNFPA representative to Ethiopia. She said that the agreement would increase capacity in the areas of care and social support to victims of violence. Adolescent girls and women will benefit from better clinical help and legal assistance and from counseling and rehabilitation services.

Alphons Hennekens, Netherlands' ambassador to Ethiopia, said that ending violence against women was not only a human rights and a social justice issue. "Strong women and girls help economic development and reduce poverty." He called the improvement of the situation of women and girls one of the most profitable investments imaginable. Empowering women is central to the Netherlands development cooperation policies, he said.

Gender-based violence is at the heart of UNFPA's mandate as it reflects gender inequalities and is very closely related to reproductive health issues and HIV/AIDS, said Dr Rakotomalala.

"Whether it is domestic violence, rape, sexual abuse, sexual exploitation, child prostitution, trafficking, forced labor or harmful traditional practices like early marriage and female genital mutilation, violence prevents a girl or a woman from exercising her human rights, violates her dignity and jeopardizes her health, well-being and futures," noted Dr. Rakotomalala. "Today's agreement offers an opportunity to take a firm stand to stop gender-based violence and ensure that reproductive rights and care are the center piece of our work."

Gender equality is one of the eight pillars of the government's poverty reduction plan which aims to "unleash the potential of women".