Harm, silence and shame: Sexual and Gender Based Violence as weapon of war in the armed conflict in Tigray, Northern Ethiopia

Summary

People in Tigray, northern Ethiopia, suffered in recent years due to war (Nov. 2020-2022), locust plague and crop failures as a result of persistent drought. Sexual and Gender Based Violence was used as a weapon of war. Numerous survivors testified, but some regions and people residing in camps for internally displaced persons were not reached for data collection. Most aid efforts are focusing on SGBV survivors finding their way to hospitals and ‘One-stop’ centers. Many remain invisible and do not seek help, out of feelings of shame or stigma, inability to pay for transport, family responsibilities. This academic project, with 2 PhD’s, intends to complete the partly collected data and to develop an awareness raising program, inspired by local and international expertise and supported by a stakeholder group, with focus on rural communities, intending to convince people that seeking help for SGBV survivors is legitimate and wants to support their livelihood generating activities.

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