Two years of civil war in northern Ethiopia was devastating for women and girls.
At least 40% to 50% of women and girls in the Tigray, Amhara, Afar and Oromia regions experienced gender-based violence (GBV) between 2020 and 2022, according to the Wilson Center, and this is widely recognized as an underestimation.
Though the conflict reached a ceasefire at the end of 2022, the Guardian reports, humanitarian suffering is still widespread and the risk of GBV remains alarmingly high.
To realize a world in which all girls are respected, FHI 360 is helping to build skills and confidence among girls and to educate boys and girls alike about the importance of respect in relationships and consent to sexual activity.
This photo essay documents an empowerment-based training session in Tigray conducted by our local partner: the Organization for Social Services, Health and Development (OSSHD).
In a small classroom, girls ages 10–14 are learning about empowerment and ways to enhance their safety.
Every day for a week, 20 girls come to the school to meet with instructors who have been trained to deliver the No Means No Worldwide intervention, which is a PEPFAR-approved curriculum.
The No Means No evidence-based approach is known as “IMpower IMsafer” and educates girls about assertiveness, communication, boundary setting and negotiation skills. They also learn how to recognize different types of violence — verbal, physical and sexual — and about their right to say “no.”
Since 2023, trained instructors have reached more than 5,600 Ethiopian girls ages 10 to 14.
“They learn different skills — both physical skills and verbal skills,” says Haftamu Dagnew, a child protection officer with OSSHD.
IMpower IMsafer is delivered as part of the USAID Caring for Vulnerable Children (CVC) activity, which is funded by USAID under PEPFAR and led by FHI 360.
The activity improves health and well-being outcomes for children in Ethiopia who are orphaned due to HIV or vulnerable to acquiring HIV. Part of the activity aims to prevent sexual and gender-based violence and HIV (a potential result of sexual assault) among girls.
The evidence-based program uses a “train the trainer” model. OSSHD identifies, trains and certifies instructors from the communities in which classes are taught.
Since 2023, trained instructors have reached more than 5,600 Ethiopian girls ages 10 to 14. It’s expected that the program will reach an additional 4,600 girls over the next year.
In addition to the IMpower IMsafer program, the USAID Caring for Vulnerable Children activity carries out two other PEPFAR-endorsed curricula, one for boys and the other for parents and caregivers.
The Coaching Boys into Men curriculum is an evidence-based school sport program. Athletic coaches teach boys about healthy relationships, gender equity and nonviolence. Parents and caregivers in the program receive training on positive parenting skills using the Sinovuyo curriculum.
Taken together, this work with multiple community groups can help move the needle on healthy relationships, nonviolence, and more respect for girls.
The girls in the Tigray classroom have built confidence, assertiveness and boundary-setting skills over the course of five days. They are fortified by the energy and presence of their fellow classmates and friends; they are all in this together.
“What is the aim?” the instructor asks. “To build safety!” the girls chant in response.
“You can see the difference in the girls from when they start the program in day one and when they finish in day five,” shares Dagnew. “You can see the confidence in their faces and more internal emotional strength as well.”
Before the girls adjourn, they recite affirmations in unison.
The girls repeat after their instructor: “Whatever atrocities may come, the aim is to build safety.”
“What is the aim?” the instructor asks. “To build safety!” the girls chant in response.
Sources cited:
Gender-Based Violence and the Tigray Conflict in Ethiopia: A Path to Accountability and Resolution
Rape still a weapon of war in Tigray months after peace deal
All photos are credited to Genaye Eshetu for FHI 360.
This publication was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Cooperative Agreement No: AID-663-A-17-00007.
The contents are the sole responsibility of FHI 360 and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the U.S. Government.