Holistic Approach
The Women’s Association of Tigray (WAT) employs a holistic approach to empower women in medical, economic, and educational domains. Its inclusive structure, from regional to village levels, ensures empowerment at all levels. Collaborations with individuals and international organizations underscore WAT's dedication to advancing gender equality for a thriving society.
Three Pillars
Medical and Mental Support
WAT has been actively involved in improving the lives of women in Tigray by addressing medical and mental health challenges. Notable achievements include awareness campaigns targeting harmful traditional practices, such as early marriage and female genital mutulation (FGM) which predominantly affects young girls. By providing interventions and education, WAT contributes to reducing health-related issues linked to such practices. Additionally, the organization has undertaken initiatives to combat gender-based violence, ensuring the safety and dignity of women. WAT's comprehensive approach includes operating safe houses for survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in Tigray, demonstrating its commitment to providing medical and mental support to those in need.
Economic Empowerment
WAT has played a significant role in economic empowerment, aiming to uplift the economic position of women in Tigray. The organization has established a micro-financial institution to facilitate women's access to revolving funds, enabling them to start and sustain their businesses. Skill development training programs conducted by WAT in its training centers, coupled with the provision of startup capital, contribute to the economic empowerment of women. By encouraging and supporting women to assume higher professional and managerial positions, WAT promotes economic independence and gender equality. The holistic economic approach of the organization addresses both financial resources and skill development, fostering sustainable empowerment.
Awareness and Education
It is important to recognize the importance of awareness and education in achieving this mission. The organization conducts extensive awareness campaigns to eliminate harmful practices, particularly those affecting women and girls. WAT's commitment to education is evident through its skill development training programs, providing women with the knowledge and tools needed for personal and professional growth. The emphasis on combating gender-based violence and ensuring the safety and dignity of women aligns with the educational aspect, fostering a society that values gender equality. WAT's engagement in legal services for survivors of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) underscores its dedication to raising awareness and educating the community on issues related to gender-based violence.
International Partners
Since 2019, UNFPA has been closely collaborating with WAT on the project titled "Preventing and Responding to SGBV including HTPs and Rehabilitation of survivors for the enjoyment of their fundamental Human Rights in Ethiopia." The primary aim of the project is to address SGBV by establishing safe houses where survivors receive comprehensive services, along with providing start-up capital for their reintegration. The annual donation averages 21,000,000.00 ETB. Currently, two safe houses are running, one in Mekelle town, the capital of the Tigray region (2019), and one in Adigrat town (2023) in the eastern zone. Additionally, a third safe house is currently being established in Maichew town, located in the southern zone of Tigray.
Oxfam America has provided financial support to draught affected population of the woreda Raya Azebo in Tigray in cash for work intervention for several short-term projects. Today, Oxfam is among the donors who at intervals provide material and financial support to women in need.
UN Women played a crucial role in the establishment of the Women’s Association of Tigray (WAT), working closely with them to enhance their institutional capacity through funding. With a donation of approximately 1,500,000.00 Ethiopian birr, the project significantly contributed to improving the well-being of WAT staff by providing trauma healing training programs.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has stood as a steadfast partner of WAT, extending vital support to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). Through material and cash aid, which encompasses essential items like food and non-food provisions, the ICRC has played a critical role in aiding those affected by SGBV.
The project "Women Lead in Emergencies: Strengthening GBV response in Tigray," funded by CARE-Ethiopia, spanned two years (February 2022 – November 2023) with a total budget of ETB 1,503,405.32. The initiative aimed to utilize CARE’s Women Lead in Emergencies (WLiE) and Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies (GBViE) approaches to bolster the GBV response in Eastern and Northern Tigray. Its primary objective was to enhance the GBViE response and prevention system in Tigray, focusing on meeting the needs of women and girls. This included increasing access to GBV services, amplifying women's leadership within the humanitarian response, and enhancing safety and security through GBV risk mitigation and protection measures.
​
This project is set to be renewed to extend similar activities to new woredas not previously covered by CARE Ethiopia.
​
Implemented in four woredas of Tigray (Adigrat, Axum, Adwa, and Mekelle), the project involved strengthening referral networks, providing emergency mental health support, establishing Women and Girls’ Friendly Spaces (WGFSs), catering to the needs of vulnerable groups of women and girls, and amplifying women’s participation in humanitarian response efforts. Through the collaborative efforts of both organizations, the project significantly contributed to addressing GBV-related issues in the targeted areas.
The Civil Society Support Programme phase 2 (CSSP2), in collaboration with WAT and funded by the British Council, implemented a short-term project from September 2023 to January 2024. This project, titled "Enhancing Women’s engagement in conflict response and peacebuilding intervention in Tigray," had a total budget of ETB 1,785,000. It aimed to raise awareness among various segments of the population, particularly WAT members, persons with disabilities, government entities, CSOs, and community representatives, on peacebuilding, transitional justice, and community dialogue sessions. The project successfully achieved its intended objectives, demonstrating its effectiveness in fostering peace and dialogue within the region.
Kinder Unserer Welt, a German-based humanitarian organization, has established and maintained the Dehab Tesfay Training Centre for women in the town of Shire, located in the north-western zone of Tigray. Over the past 23 years, the organization has fully equipped the center and covered the salaries of its employees. Since its inception, the budget allocated to the center has increased annually, reaching ETB 13,069,652.00 in 2020. However, with the onset of the war, the training center has transitioned into a shelter for internally displaced persons (IDPs), with the donor continuing to cover the salaries of its staff until peace is restored and normal operations resume. As of the writing of this letter, Kinder Unserer Welt has approved a grant of ETB 3,812,294.66 to provide start-up capital for a select number of trainees.
The project, titled "Strengthening Survivor Centred Responses: Holistic, Comprehensive, Survivor-Centred GBV in Emergencies Programming in Tigray," spans two years (June 2022-May 2024) and collaborates with WAT to address GBV in Tigray. Notable achievements of the project include providing emergency cash assistance to SGBV survivors, establishing women and girls safe spaces (WGSS), and offering start-up capital to empower vulnerable women. The allocated budget for project implementation is ETB 29,683,186.00.
Currently, WAT has secured approval for a new project funded by Irish Aid to undertake similar activities in the eastern zone of Tigray. The agreed-upon budget for this three-year project is 50,000,000.00 ETB.
This organization, funded by the Basque government of Spain, collaborated with WAT from 2016 to 2019. The donor's focus area was on empowering women and improving their economic status by providing skill development training along with start-up capital for those in need. Over the course of four years, the allocated budget exceeded 20,000,000.00 ETB.