Abstract
ABSTRACT Child marriage is prohibited in international human rights law, a stance adopted and enshrined in the Ethiopian legal system. Despite this, the practice of child marriage continues in many parts of the country, including in the Amhara region. Unharmonised laws, local norms, and religion are often cited as justifications for the slow rate of progress in eradicating child marriage. Such arguments presume the practice of child marriage and the formal law stand at opposite ends in their approach to addressing violence against girls. However, an examination of the experiences of child wives with the law in the Amhara region reveals that despite the formal prohibition of child marriage, the existing legal framework lacks comprehensive legal and policy measures to address violence against girls. I argue that this deficiency reinforces local norms linked with child marriage, perpetuating the victimisation of girls.
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