Civil and Political Rights 35. The Commission is concerned about the: i. lack of adequate awareness of the population about their rights, legal procedures and available remedies; ii. acts of discrimination against certain ethnic groups on the basis of their purported affiliation to opposition political parties which continues to take place; iii. restrictions of activities by opposition political parties whose result is that Ethiopia’s parliament is dominated by one party. Women and Children’s Rights 36. The Commission is concerned about the: i. low representation of women at decision making levels; ii. prevalence of trafficking in persons particularly of vulnerable groups such as women, girls and children; iii. high rate of maternal and child mortality despite the efforts made by the government to improve child health services; iv. prevalence of gender based violence and violence against children despite the government’s efforts in combatting them; v. The persistent traditional harmful practices such as Female Genital Mutilation and Child marriages, in spite of the criminalization of the said practices, and poverty of women etc. 12 | P a g e