Legal rights for disabled in Addis Ababa.

Disabled residents of the Yeka district of Addis Ababa and beyond are to benefit from a new project to promote their legal rights in light of their greater vulnerability to sexual violence and HIV/AIDS, the independent business weekly Capital reports. Launched on the suggestion of a local group for the disabled, the project is being implemented by the Ethiopia chapter of Handicap International in conjunction with the Ethiopian National Association of Mentally Retarded Children and Youth (ENAMERCY) and the national bar association, with funding from the European Union. Activities will include a survey on sexual violence against disabled people, reviewing and analysing the relevant laws in Ethiopia and organising training for judicial and law enforcement personnel and community workers. The project is due to last three years and should involve 150 local residents with disabilities and well as 25 social workers and law enforcement personnel.