According to the new law, those who beg and give will be held accountable. According to reports, the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs is putting together a bill for the “Social Protection Fund,” which aims to put an end to the pervasive begging.
The Federal Ministry of Women and Social Affairs’ proposed “Social Protection Fund” bill is meant to “solve” the nation’s worsening begging, sex trade, and other social crises.
Efforts to end begging were allegedly made in the past in Addis Abeba and the regions, according to Derje Taye, executive director of the ministry’s public relations division but due to the lack of a legal framework, the issue remained a one-off.
A system will be established to assist people through a single buffer once the legal framework to “avoid” begging is finished; it has been stated that both the giver and the recipient will be held accountable for giving gifts outside of this system.
The government anticipates that the bill’s implementation will “find a solution” to the current rise in beggar activity; it is understood that ongoing discussions with religious institutions about how best to address the problem have taken place frequently.
In order to help those who live on the streets, the Ethiopian government has reportedly received support from the World Bank on several occasions; however, given the severity of the problem, the number of street children is still doubling.
50, 000 of Addis Abeba’s 88 ,960 daily beggars, according to information made public in the early months of this Ethiopian year, live on the city’s streets.
Some claim that the “Social Protection Fund,” for which a bill has been proposed, will significantly lessen begging. It is believed that doing this will discourage the needy from giving in any way and will make beggars appear unclean.
Reportedly, a system is being created to assist the less fortunate members of society by enacting legislation. To create citizens who detest begging, a work department that provides psychological support and development has been established.
The Ministry created the “Family Department” in 2022 to assist families in preventing their children from going outside to beg and from becoming addicted to drugs and alcohol. To work in the sector in the future, the unit will be established in each region, zone, and district office.
The decree has reportedly been finished in draft form and sent from the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs to the Ministry of Justice, according to a report on Wazema Radio.
Legal frameworks that are comprehensive are being created. Legal frameworks are anticipated to be included and submitted for approval to the House of People’s Representatives.