Ethiopian Women Fight for Justice Continues: The Tigray Conflict Demands Immediate International Support

Ethiopian women faced sexual violence and many other atrocities during the civil war in Tigray between 2020 and 2022. Now, they have little to no chance of holding the perpetrators accountable due to poor public trust in the government and justice system. The international community has a duty to support transparent and democratic processes aimed at punishing criminals.

Ethiopian women were constant victims of violence and sexual abuse. A lot of them became widows and lost their children. It is estimated that 15% of women contracted HIV during the armed conflict. Due to the lack of trust in government institutions is low in Tigray, nearly nobody believes that criminals will be prosecuted. In the eyes of many in Tigray and beyond, justice remains a distant promise, while the scars of conflict continue to deepen mistrust in the state's commitment to heal the country.

The scale of atrocities, particularly against women, and the ongoing mistrust in the state's commitment to justice underscore the need for international support in ensuring a transparent and independent process. Only through global efforts to promote justice and rebuild trust can Ethiopia begin to heal and offer its people, especially the survivors, a path toward recovery.

The war devastated northern Ethiopia, especially Tigray, where families were torn apart by violence and left with little hope for justice. One such case is that of Meaza Teklemariam, who had to watch as soldiers took her husband accusing him of being a fighter despite his pleas that he was just a farmer. Videos later circulated online, showing soldiers leading men, including Tsegaye, to a cliffside before executing them, their bodies left to fall into the valley below. Six months later, families returned to identify their loved ones by scraps of clothing and personal items and buried remains in mass graves.

And that is only one of many widespread killings during this conflict. It is estimated that it took 600,000 lives, mostly as a result of famine and diseases, after government forces allegedly blocked aid to Tigray. The conflict also left around 100,000 women and girls raped.

Now, Ethiopia's government is establishing a transitional justice process, including a special prosecutor and a truth commission empowered to investigate abuses, grant reparations, and offer amnesties aimed at repairing deeply fractured communities. However, human rights groups are sceptical of the government's commitment to transparency. Throughout the conflict, the Ethiopian government shut down communications in Tigray, downplayed accusations against its forces, and initially denied the presence of Eritrean troops, who have been accused of committing some of the worst atrocities.