WOMEN’S rights in Ethiopia, a predominantly patriarchal society, are set to improve with the coming into effect of a new law which, among other measures, targets forced marriages. Under the Family Law, which the Daily Monitor newspaper on Tuesday reported had been promulgated Monday after being approved by parliament in July, the minimum age for marriage is now 18, instead of 15. Campaigners for women’s rights had pressed for this change as a way to reduce the prevalent practice of forced marriage in Ethiopia. The new legislation also places men and women on an equal footing in cases of disputes. Until now, domestic disputes were settled by an arbitration system that generally favoured men, granting them custody of children, for example, in cases of divorce. – AFP