The Northern Ethiopia conflict which lasted for two years has left a devastating effect on women and girls from Tigray, Afar and Amhara regions. Internally displaced women and girls living in the Region have been particularly exposed to sexual violence.
Also there has been an increase in gender-based-violence especially in Aba’ala, Konoba, Berahele and Irebti woredas of the Afar Region in Ethiopia. The impact and prevalence of these human rights violations is exacerbated by limited access to critical GBV prevention and response mechanisms and structures, particularly in communities where access has been a challenge.
Some harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM) and early marriage have also increased due to the absence of safe networks that have become inactive because of the security crisis.
To address these multi-faceted challenges, UN Women, through the Women Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) supports the local women’s rights organization, Afar Community Initiative Sustainable Development Association (ACISDA), to improve the lives of marginalized and hard-to-reach pastoral women and girls in Afar. The project aims at improving their safety, security, and mental health and increasing the responsiveness of the communities and service providers to prevent and protect from SGBV risks.
Zahra Mohammed, a dedicated women and children’s officer at Aba’ala district police in Afar region, has witnessed firsthand the difference the project is making. She believes there is significant improvement in GBV response and case handling in the district and she points to one critical reason: the establishment of a coordination platform that brings all service providers and community leaders responsible to respond to VAWG.
Zahra noted that the platform has strengthened collaboration among all service providers to ensure that GBV cases reported are effectively referred to the different police, health, legal and other response services. “Taking cases to elders and solve them the ‘traditional’ way did not allow holding perpetrators accountable, but the newly established coordination mechanism helped us narrow this gap” Zahara reckons.
Although Zahra remains hopeful for greater change, she does not shy away from speaking about the challenges. “When we take cases to court, the lack of medical evidence in rape cases makes it almost impossible to secure convictions or appropriate sentences. We hope this project will help us change this reality,” she concludes. ACISDA already provided training to 45 established grassroot law enforcement body forum members on women’s rights, gender equality, and prevention of GBV for them to ensure effective access to justice.
Mekia Abdella, a Women and Social Affairs officer in Aba’ala district, has seen the devastating toll that conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) has taken on her community. “There is a one stop center, and when cases get reported, we immediately refer survivors to receive comprehensive essential services. We also follow up their cases in court.” Thanks to the community mobilization campaigns supported by ACISDA’s projects, Mekia has also witnessed a decline in harmful practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage—an encouraging sign of progress amidst the challenges.
Both Zahra and Mekia recall that before the conflict, rape was extremely rare in their communities. It was such a cultural taboo that perpetrators risked being ostracized by their tribe, and in some cases, even faced violent retribution from survivors’ families. “The war changed everything,” they explain. Sexual violence has become rampant, especially in areas directly affected by fighting and in neighboring districts. Yet amidst these challenges, there are glimmers of progress.
Fatuma Aliyu, a community member from Koneba district points out how harmful practices like child marriage and FGM are beginning to decline. “It used to be very common – girls as young as 10 being married of to men in their fifties. Now, with so much awareness and effort, things are improving. People are learning what these practices do to our girls, especially child marriage,” she says with cautious optimism.
Adnan Hussien, Program Manager at ACISDA, states that the partnership with UN Women and the support of WPHF funding has enabled the organization to expand its reach from one to four districts, including some of the most hard-to-reach areas of Afar. The project has also elevated ACISDA’s visibility and sparked wider public discussion on GBV. As part of this effort, ACISDA trained 20 journalists from Afar TV, radio, and social media, equipping them with the skills to report more responsibly and effectively on gender-based violence—particularly in the context of internally displaced people (IDPs) in the region.
Through the project led by Adnan and his colleagues at ACISDA, more than 33,000 women and girls have already been reached across conflict-affected areas of Afar. A key part of this impact has come from strengthening the influence and agency of 70 women development association leaders, women’s rights defenders, and women political representatives, enabling them to play a more active role in ending sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).
UN Women News/ ForshesAfrica News
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