	Adolescence in Ethiopia	Adolescence in Israel
Sexual maturation	A sexually mature girl marries an older man. Usually, a girl aged 18 is a mother to a child or more children. Girls in their teens are not allowed to marry.	Every decade, the age of marriage increases. Women serve in the army or volunteer in an alternative national service.
Encounters with the other sex	Encounters with the other sex are forbidden. The girl meets her husband on their wedding day. The wedding day signifies the first time she meets a man that does not belong to her family.	Encounters with the other sex are ordinary and customary. Settings such as schools, youth movements, and classes include both genders.
Intercourse and birth control	Intercourse is taboo and is only allowed after marriage. Virginity is sacred, and the girl’s sexual needs are denied. Birth control is not acknowledged.	Some girls have sex before marriage and use birth control.
Attire	Clothes are modest. Generally, women cover their heads with a headpiece after marriage. Parents buy the wardrobe, and there are unique clothes for family events.	Religious girls wear modest clothes that cover most of their bodies. Other girls choose their garderobe and may wear tight and revealing clothes. Some girls like to wear expensive labels and want to buy the clothes they desire to wear.
Food	Homemade food is the only option. Dishes depend on a schedule or festive dinners.	Cuisines are diverse; hence traditional food is not the only option. Some girls only want to eat western food.
Entertainment	The girl accompanies her family to extended family events in the village. The girls stay in a specific territory, and the family knows where they are. Sometimes, the girl talks and plays with her friends.	Girls meet other teens, including boys from the community. They watch movies, hang out in malls and city centers, and attend parties. Sometimes they go out late and party till sunrise. The parents do not know the girl’s whereabouts or when she will return. Moreover, the girl might not introduce her friends to her parents.
Studies	Girls usually attend elementary schools and do not proceed to higher education. In the village, girls do not attend school. The community understands the value of education but thinks girls should help with the households (e.g. cooking, babysitting, bringing water from the well, gathering twigs).	Parents and girls understand the value and importance of education. Education is a goal and the key to success and profession. Nevertheless, girls are still expected to help with the household.
Poverty and deficiency	The economic status was different. Yet even in times of shortage, the Jews were not poor.	Money has meaning. Teens live in the Israeli reality and experience shortages and deficits. The economic situation enhances the gap between immigrants and veterans and increases the sense of discrimination and poverty.
Decision-making	Girls did not have to make decisions. Instead, their lives reflected their parent’s and extended family’s decisions and mirrored the Ethiopian tradition. Parents raised their daughters to be good wives and mothers and chose their significant others.	Girls must make decisions about friends, school, military service, and spouses.
Perception of the parents	Fathers constitute the authority and mandate. Therefore, you cannot disobey them since they are the family’s pride. The father provides for the family; hence the child has to abide.	Parents are perceived as rigid and strict. They are viewed as incapable of adopting new norms or understanding the teen’s needs. Therefore, they are recognized as vulnerable.
Communication with the parents	There is a clear hierarchy. The girl avoids consulting her father. Communication is scarce from top to bottom. Girls were educated to be polite, modest, and reserved. They prefer to consult their older sisters and mother. Lastly, the mother informs the father. The interaction is indirect; the girl does not look her father in the eyes and does not refuse him.	Girls know their rights. They are exposed to direct communication at school and with friends. The parents’ integration difficulties turn the girls into mediators; hence they adopt assertive and direct communication. Girls exploit language barriers to exclude their parents.
Ask for help	In times of distress, girls turn to their extended family or deny help. The conflict was resolved inside the family or the village.	Girls know their rights and meet healthcare professionals in schools and boarding schools. However, due to the family and the community’s subversion, girls turn for help to guides, social workers, counselors, and the police.