Ethiopia: GBV in Tigray Demands Urgent Attention

By Chinomso Momoh
July 9, 2024

Gender-based violence (GBV) in the Tigray region of Ethiopia has reached alarming levels and calls for immediate action from the Tigray interim administration.

Development Diaries reports that 27 Tigray-based civil society organisations (CSOs) are calling for urgent action from regional authorities to address the escalating issue of GBV.

The CSOs, in a joint statement, denounced the assaults, kidnappings, and killings that target women throughout the region and expressed worry about the accountability and transparency gaps in the current procedures.

Data from Mekelle City Police reveals that 12 women were murdered, 80 raped, ten kidnapped, and 178 faced attempted murder in just the past 11 months.

A study by Refugees International, in 2023, estimated that between 40 and 50 percent of women and girls in Tigray were victims of GBV during the Tigray conflict.

According to the research, over 80 percent of the victims reported having been raped, with nearly 70 percent of them being gang raped by armed groups.

The emphasis is on the fact that these crimes continued despite the ceasefire agreement and are hindering Tigray’s path to stability.

It is worrisome that the Tigray interim administration’s security and justice institutions have been largely ineffective in preventing these crimes and ensuring accountability for perpetrators.

Also, many victims face significant barriers to reporting crimes, such as fear of reprisal, stigma, and limited access to justice services.

To address this crisis, the interim administration needs to prioritise the protection of women and girls and the restoration of justice.

This requires strengthening local law enforcement, providing training on gender sensitivity and human rights, and ensuring that there are safe and confidential channels for reporting GBV.

Development Diaries calls on the Tigray interim administration’s security and justice institutions to step up concerted efforts to prevent these crimes and ensure that perpetrators are held responsible.

Source: Addis Standard