Women and Girls
Help a girl fulfill her potential
Ethiopiaid partners with local Ethiopian projects dedicated to promoting equality and equal opportunities for women and girls.
Our aim is to protect survivors of abuse, equip them for a safe, independent life, and tackle the root causes of gender-based violence in Ethiopia.
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The challenge today
There are many causes of gender inequality in Ethiopia: child marriage, gender-based violence, lack of female sanitary options in schools and scarce maternal healthcare. All of these act as barriers which stop Ethiopian women and girls from reaching their full potential.
Because of this, women and girls are most at risk of poverty in Ethiopia. Two in five girls miss out on school because they have no way to manage their menstrual hygiene. Many women then lose the chance to earn an independent income and contribute to their community’s development. And when a woman lives in poverty, her family and the next generation are far more likely to live in poverty too.
Gender-based violence is one of the most systematic, widespread human rights violations in the world. In Ethiopia, half of all women have experienced physical or sexual violence at least once in their lifetime.
Despite laws which outlaw it, rates of gender-based violence in Ethiopia remain high. In many areas, traditional cultural values around the treatment of women are deeply entrenched and many people ignore or are simply unaware of new laws.
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The solution you can be part of
Did you know that when you lift a woman out of poverty, you’re helping lift up the community around her too? Experience shows that when a woman can access health, education and income, she invests this back into her family and helps bring about positive change in her community. Here’s how our project partners are making this happen:
- Putting an end to period shaming and helping girls stay in school through reusable sanitary packs, puberty information booklets and school workshops
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- Creating a space where survivors are equipped with the tools for resilience and self-sufficiency, and enabling youth to become change makers through education tools, promoting gender equality from within.
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- Ensuring vulnerable young women are equipped for an independent future through high school/university sponsorships and vital training in reproductive health
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- Ensuring the social and economic empowerment and self-reliance of poor and marginalised women and enhancing their participation in the development process of their communities.
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A safer and more equal world
Creating safe, inclusive communities where the voices of women and girls are heard and they are protected from gender-based violence. Preventing cervical cancer and harmful practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM).
5,478 women
were screened for cervical cancer, with immediate treatment for those whose results showed potentially harmful cells.
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602 babies
were safely delivered by Traditional Birth Attendants and protected from harmful practices such as FGM.
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48,943 people
were reached through education, to stop harmful practices and advocate for the rights of women and girls.
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See the solution in action
A group of high school girls from Tigray, northern Ethiopia, learning about puberty while also receiving a sanitary kit containing 4x reusable, cloth sanitary pads, 2x pairs of underwear and an informational ‘Growth & Changes’ booklet which dispels myths and answers frequently asked questions.
A workshop for male students to teach about puberty and menstruation. There is great stigma against these topics in rural Ethiopia, so boys grow up thinking this natural part of life is shameful, dirty and a sign of sexual promiscuity. Teaching both girls and boys the facts on puberty is vital to stop period shaming and end these stigmas.
From the 95% of girls in Ethiopia who attend primary school, only 25% will go on to attend secondary school and as little as 10% will enrol in university. Project partners set up high school and university sponsorships which fund accommodation, tuition, school supplies and essentials such as sanitary kits to take away the barriers and ensure girls can finish their education.
A single mother from Gondar city, northern Ethiopia, tends to her crops during the rainy season. After taking part in an agricultural training course, she learnt how to cultivate crops and sell them at market for profit plus also received a start-up kit containing assorted veggie seeds and gardening tools.
Women meeting for their recurrent Savings & Finance Co-Operative where they learn about savings, credit and finance, share problems/solutions about their own small business ventures and grow leadership skills needed to be active and vocal members of their community.
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For an Ethiopia free from Fistula.
Systemic gender-based violence can be combatted through solidarity, education, and literacy. With your support, our partners are working together to eliminate the issue from its core. Thanks to your continuous contributions, women and girls will have reduced vulnerability to exploitation, abuse and maltreatment within Ethiopia's families, communities, and schools.
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Meet your project partners
APDA
APDA was created alongside local Afar leaders who felt their needs were not being met by formal government services. APDA is dedicated to ending harmful practices, including female genital mutilation (FGM), child marriage and the lack of rights for women in marriage. They also run life-changing projects in water harvesting, mobile health and education, and have been providing life-saving emergency support, in response to the recent locust plagues and conflict in the region.
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AWSAD
With seven safe houses across Ethiopia, AWSAD is a beacon of hope to those who have experienced domestic violence or abuse. They offer more than a safe place to sleep for women seeking refuge with babies and young children. Along with food and medication, AWSAD provides counselling and legal follow-up, basic literacy courses, art and dance therapy, self-defense classes and vocational skills training so that women can build a life beyond their recovery and leave the shelter as confident, independent individuals.
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A safe and more equal world
We partner with local organizations who provide support and opportunities for women and girls. Through their projects, they are:
- Raising awareness of the dangers of FGM and child marriage, to bring an end to these harmful practices.
- Building safe, inclusive communities where the voices of women and girls are heard.
- Providing women with the vocational skills and micro loans to support themselves.
if you have any questions about our partners’ work supporting women and girls please do get in touch.
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The impact you can have
When you help women out of poverty, you’re helping life up her family and community too.
50
fistula survivors in Northern Amhara who became financially independent through crafts, literacy, and numeracy skills improvement.
1,000
family members affected by the empowerment of 191 women in Eastern Hararghe.
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99
women and girls provided with comprehensive safehouse services in 2021, along with their children, imparting essential skills and aid for a new beginning.
35
women in Addis Ababa who attained tailoring certifications, securing stable incomes and ensuring their children’s education.
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Inequality can affect girls from the moment they are born. Many young girls undergo harmful practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM), and despite child marriage being illegal in Ethiopia, 40% of girls are married by the age of 18.
We believe girls and women are the key to building long-term change.
By protecting girls and promoting women’s voices, our partners are building a safer, more equal world.
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Latest News
Every life matters—especially a mother’s. (Summer 2024 Appeal)
6 June 2024
In the face of food shortages, conflict, and medical crises, brave mothers like Ayana are losing their lives and the lives of their babies. Your do...
APDA: Field Report
5 May 2024
Project Location: Afar, Ethiopia Local Field Partner: Afar Pastoralist Development Association (APDA) Report Author: Valerie Browning Reporting ...
Restore Hope: Help End Fistula in Ethiopia (Spring 2024 Appeal)
7 April 2024
Thousands of women in Ethiopia face the devastating consequences of obstetric fistula, often stemming from preventable childbirth complications. Yo...
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