PROTECTION OF THE ELDERLY FDRE Constitution provides that all persons are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to the equal protection of the law. Although the constitution‟s provision does not mention specific discrimination on the basis of age, the phrasing “by race, nationality, …, or other status.” is inclusive of physical disability as well as age, Further, in Article 41/5 of the constitution, provision is made that the State shall, within available means, allocate resources to provide for rehabilitation and assistance to the physically and mentally disabled, the elderly, and others. The government has set up several institutions to respect, protect, promote and fulfill, as far as conditions allow, the right of elderly citizens. The institutions charged with the responsibility for this are the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, and the relevant regional bureaus. The GTP lays down that program for older members of society should respect their dignity, freedom and independence and their established relationships and association with society. The thrust of such programs should be towards providing care and support from immediate social formations and neighborhood communities rather than via formalized institutions. Creating and developing societal and communal awareness activities should be reinforced along these lines. The Government has been supported and encouraged the many charities and associations established to aid and care for the old. The social development and welfare policy, which gives special attention to the care and welfare of this section of society, is in the course of implementation as part of the National Action Plan, and an operational manual is being prepared for this purpose. The National Action Plan identified thirteen specific areas of problem and need for the elderly in Ethiopia among which are:- social security; poverty reduction; HIV/AIDS; education and training; employment; income generation; health and welfare; family and community care; housing and living environment; gender issues, food and nutrition; and protection of life and property. The Action Plan and the operational manual include indication of the roles that relevant Federal and Regional Stakeholders ought to play and the functional integration methods they should apply. These documents, having analyzed the key problems and challenges of the sector, emphasize that effective 99