Discussing culture and gender-based violence in comprehensive sexuality education in Ethiopia

The effectiveness of education programmes, including comprehensive sexuality education (CSE), to address gender-based violence in schools is under increasing scrutiny. Explanations for the persisting challenges with these programmes have so far typically pointed towards ‘culture’. Drawing on a qualitative case study in Ethiopia, this paper analyses the relations between gender-based violence and culture, as it is presented in CSE. It reveals that uncritical conceptions of tradition and modernity, as well as ‘good’ and ‘bad’ cultures in CSE, fail to address and discuss gender relations and patriarchy as the root causes of gender-based violence. This enhances the vulnerability of young women and the reduces the effectiveness of CSE in addressing gender-based violence.