Portrayal of Gender Based Violence in Selected Ethiopian Amharic Films
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Date
2008-07
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
This research attempts to look into the portrayal of gender based violence in selected Ethiopian Amharic films which were released in DVDs and VCDs during the first six months of the 2000E.C.( from September 1- January 30, 2000 E.C. )
Film as an industry and film making as a business has been very slow and hardly existed in Ethiopia. The last couple of years could however been taken as a breakthrough in the country’s film business .These films were appeared in different forms and have depicted various types of themes emanating from either the country’s social ,economic and political scenarios as well as the western cultures.
Accordingly, one of the themes witnessed in these films released so far was the violence in general and gender based violence in particular. The forms of gender based violence have been different and affirm the male dominance in many respects. Why was that so? Data were gathered from pertinent films released through VCDs and DVDs and analysed through different forms.
The conclusion of the research include: primary characters of the films under investigation have found out to be males; there is male dominance in many respects; other factors like age ,power and class are the main reasons behind aggression and operation (this according to the finding is when either the age or power of the aggressor is not at the same level with that of the aggressed or the victim);most of the types of gender based violence; both the verbal and the non verbal ones are the predominant forms in the films under investigation; most of the gender based violence occurred in a setting which is confined to specific building or in a non public places and most of the films have manifested that Ethiopia posses a patriarchal society (they portray the female characters as inferior, powerless and only agents of pleasure to their female counterparts)
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Violence