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Ethiopia has a deeply religious society, with Christianity and Islam having many followers. Under Ethiopian law, homosexual acts are punishable with jail terms of up to 15 years.
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Same-sex relations are criminalized in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa, where many regard homosexuality as imported from the West. Welcome to Africanews Please select your experience. Watch Live. Breaking News Close. News Ethiopia govt condemned for silence on 'creeping' homosexuality. You may also like. From the same country. For example, in most cases, Ethiopians will not take a seat before their guests. Things like this should not be interpreted as anything other than a sign of respect.
Ethiopian society is very hierarchal i. Asking about work, life and family is a very common approach to start a conversation. How are you Tena-Yestelegn or Endmenot? How is your family, kids, etc.
Ethiopians are not usually comfortable talking about private or personal matters outside of their family circle. Therefore, it is preferable to avoid discussion about family matter unless advice is solicited either by you or by the other person. They always speak highly of their family and friends.

This line of questioning can be interpreted as what is your ethnicity and there are very many people who consider this line of questioning as divisive. It is advisable to avoid discussion on religion, sex or sexuality and local politics because it is hard to tell where people stand on these topics. Most Ethiopians seem to be indifferent, at least in public, about politics. However, it is possible your comments might be taken as criticism.
Most Ethiopians show self pride and do not accept easily being seen as less worthy. Most of the time a topic for discussion will depend on the age and gender of the person and the popular topic in the city or the country. For example, if you happen to be in Addis when the World Cup is in progress, you can chat with anyone about it, men and women, young and old.
Most Ethiopians are soccer fans.
It is hard to tell how it can be interpreted. But Ethiopians love humour. Ethiopians tend to exhibit traditional values—they are conservative and modest. It is important to be polite and respectful. Ethiopians generally pride themselves as a culture of hospitality ie. Greetings are very important and it is very appropriate to ask about family—do you have children, do they go to school, etc etc.
Asking about work is less common but depends on what class or background the person has. As Westerners we tend to be more inquisitive than Ethiopians—and sometimes our questions are not that appreciated as they wonder why we want to know so much and may feel suspicious.
One has to carefully watch body language to know how the other is feeling.
It is also important to bear in mind that Ethiopia is a large country with a large population. There are clear distinctions between urban vs rural; between rich vs poor; between highland populations and lowland populations; between people who depend on agriculture as a way of life and the pastoral way of life. However, many do not like these distinctions, as they realize the dangers of pulling apart their nation.
One should not directly ask what ethnic group someone is from. It may come up that they mention they speak a certain language—and then you can ask if they were born in that area. There are political overtones to most aspects of life in Ethiopia and therefore, politics is a common subject of discussion.
However, one should be very careful as opinions can be very strong and there are risks involved in talking in public about ones political views. As a general rule, be a good listener. Only ask a few broad questions or comments about politics unless you really know the person. Political issues generally do not really involve foreigners—and it is risky to take sides unless one really knows what is going on.
Humour is generally fine—and everyone loves a good laugh. It is often at the expense of someone else. Laughing at oneself is good. Funerals are important events. If appropriate, a financial contribution may be considerate as funerals cost a lot of money. It is good to keep a fair distance when speaking with someone and is acceptable to have an eye contact.
Actually total avoidance of eye contact could be interpreted as a sign of hiding something. It is good to speak in calm, soft and audible voice. Touching on the shoulder or on the arm when talking face to face with someone of the same sex is okay but touching or holding the opposite sex with some degree of intimacy and looking straight to the eye is not advisable.
Pointing fingers at someone or speaking in a loud and angry manner is considered very rude.
High voice is a sign of anger or disappointment. Kissing and hugging is part of the normal greetings and is not, in anyway, an expression of sexual affection. It is common to see women kissing women, women kissing men, and men kissing men on the check in public including in the office.
Recognition of relationships, No recognition of same-sex unions. Adoption, No. Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) persons in Ethiopia face legal challenges not In contemporary times, homosexuality acts and the acceptance rate are growing in areas of urban cities, notably in Addis Ababa, where gay scenes. Our collection of gay & gay friendly hotels in Addis Ababa. Gay only, gay-owned, boutique, luxury, budget, hostels. Best prices. Book now with misterb&b.
This does not mean they hug and kiss a person whom they have never met before. Greeting people is an important and somewhat lengthy many variations of how are you ritual. Not only is it important to ask, "How are you? One way in which respect is demonstrated is to address people with a title—for example, Woizero Mrs. Azeb; Ato Mr. Solomon; Doctor Tesfaye; Engineer Gebreyes etc. Most foreigners do make a modest attempt to learn some Amharic.
Very few are successful in speaking any of the local languages fluently.
This is unfortunate as it does tend to limit the level of engagement with people and understanding of the culture —especially in the rural areas. Fortunately, most Ethiopians in the urban areas do speak quite good English—however, one does have to appreciate that English will be their second language. Everyone shakes hands—it becomes automatic. If you know someone, kissing 3 times on the cheeks is common. In some areas and especially with me—a shoulder-to-shoulder kind of greeting is common. Physical space is quite close—no need to keep a certain distance from people.
Touching in normal, friendly ways is fine. Canadian children may find everyone wants to kiss them. Parents must decide what they want their children to do, explain it to them and then support them. It is considered especially comical if a foreigner loses their temper in a public place; it is not at all appropriate. Also, enduring the bureaucracy, for example, to get your drivers licence can test ones patience.
Getting angry will only slow down the process. Try to use the opportunity to engage in a little conversation with the person next to you It can be a way to meet interesting people. Chances are they feel sorry for you because they know foreigners get very frustrated with such idle waiting! It is not common to see lovers kissing in a sexual manner in public.
Most people are shy about expressing their love to each other even in family circles. Sex is one topic that is still considered personal and private. On the other hand, people express their anger in a loud and emotional way on business or personal matters. Most people use their hands and other body language to express approval, disapproval, satisfaction, consent etc.
It is good to watch their body language.
Ethiopians are not shy about expressing their opinion on matter of their expertise. Most like to argue and at times they can be stubborn.