Rebuilding Lives, Restoring Hope
In the aftermath of Ethiopia’s recent conflicts, countless women and girls have experienced sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), while many others remain highly vulnerable due to poverty, displacement, disability, and systemic gender inequalities. To respond to these urgent and complex needs, the Response to Survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (RSSGBV) project was launched as a pathway to healing, empowerment, and hope.
Funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by GIZ, the project focused on restoring dignity and rebuilding the lives of both survivors and vulnerable women. It was rooted in a survivor-centered, inclusive approach that recognized the diverse realities of women in conflict-affected and underserved areas. It operated in four woredas: Lalibela, Were-Ilu, and Woldiya in the Amhara Region, and Chifra in the Afar Region, and ran from May 2023 to June 2025.
Despite Ethiopia’s legal commitments to gender equality, women—particularly those in conflict-impacted communities—face severe barriers to recovery, peace and stability. Survivors of SGBV often lack access to medical and psychosocial care, face entrenched stigma, or live in economic dependency, often from their perpetrators. Women in vulnerable positions, including those with disabilities or those heading households, face similar exclusion and hardship. The RSSGBV project was designed to break these cycles and build responsive systems that offer both protection and possibility.
Health and psychosocial support are central to this effort. Through intensive training and well-being programs, health workers and social service providers are equipped to deliver trauma-informed care across One Stop Centers (OSCs) and Primary Health Care Units (PHCUs) in the target woredas. These services are reinforced with essential medical supplies and assistive devices, ensuring that no woman is left behind—particularly those with disabilities.
Equally critical was the project’s work at the community level. By engaging religious and traditional leaders, elders, youth clubs, and women’s associations, the project confronted harmful norms and opened spaces for dialogue and understanding. It supported women to seek help without fear of stigma and built inclusive community structures where survivors and vulnerable women were able to find solidarity and support.
Economic empowerment is another vital component of the project´s work. Through life skills and vocational training, small business start-up support, and mentoring, the project enabled women to rebuild not only their confidence but also their livelihoods. Partnerships with civil society organizations and women-led grassroots networks ensured outreach to even the most marginalized women, including those in shelters or informal settlements.
Guided by the principle of “Leave No One Behind,” the RSSGBV project holistically addressed the interconnected challenges faced by women in northern Ethiopia. It removed barriers to access, strengthened service systems, and fostered self-reliance and agency. The project directly supported survivors of SGBV and vulnerable women, whose needs are often overlooked in conventional recovery efforts.
The RSSGBV project worked closely with the Federal Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs, regional health and social service providers, women’s grassroots organizations such as the Amhara Women Association and Rohi Weddu Pastoral Women Development Organization, as well as national and international NGOs like Plan International Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Psychologists Association. Civil society actors, including the Beza Posterity Development Organization, also played a key role in local implementation.
As the project draws to a close in June 2025, its impact remains clear: lives have been rebuilt, and hope has been restored for many survivors and vulnerable women across Amhara and Afar. The initiative has not only provided essential support but has also helped strengthen local systems and shift social attitudes—laying a foundation for continued progress long after the project ends. Though the implementation phase is concluding, the voices, resilience, and strength of the women it served will continue to shape their communities and inspire change.
