There are grass root community organizations and Civil Societies encouraging marriages and the formation of family while advancing child spacing through the use of family planning. The various measure adopted by public institutions are aimed at helping parents to work toward the cohesion of the family and community. Orphanages are assisted by the governmental institutions to ensure that children who would obtain necessary care until they get adoptive families. Religious communities established orphanages and they teach children to respect their parents and elders at all times and help them when necessary. MEASURES TAKEN TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN Children are one of the primary areas of intervention by the government. The government of Ethiopia is committed to improve the welfare of children and to protect and respect their rights. The government has adopted a national plan of action for intervention in fulfillment of the rights of children and to combat any discrimination of any sort against children. To eliminate discrimination against children, the Government has established 1486 CRC committees at federal, regional and zonal levels. The government gives appropriate support to the committees to enable them achieve their duties of supervising the implementation of the convention on the rights of the Child.63 Children‟s mock parliaments have been established at woreda levels and the government supports them in their duty to protect the rights of children. As a result, discrimination against children has decreased dramatically. The Government is also taking action to prevent the violence and exploitation of child labour. It has enacted laws, adopted policies and implemented them in cooperation with various stakeholders. A Children Rights Action Plan (2003- 2010 EC) was launched and is being implemented.64 The Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs adopted a National Action Plan (2011-2017) to prevent child labour exploitation, and that is also being implemented. It also enacted a directive to implement the Labour Proclamation to protect the rights and welfare of the child. A national steering committee has been established to give directions, strategies and recommendations on child sexual violence, child labour exploitation and the rehabilitation of victims of sexual violence and labour exploitation. The educational policy providing free primary education 63 64 Ministry of Women, Children and Youth PP 2 Ministry of Women, Children and Youth PP 4 92