Title: Preventing and Responding to Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) including (HTPs) and Rehabilitation of Survivors for the Enjoyments of their Fundamental Human Rights in Tigray Region

Program outcome: All GBV Survivors in Tigray enjoy the rights and competences to realize their potential in equality and with dignity.

Major intervention areas implemented by WAT

The Women’s Association of Tigray (WAT) implements comprehensive, survivor-centered interventions to address the protection, health, psychosocial, social, economic, and reintegration needs of women and girls affected by Gender-Based Violence (GBV).

1. Safe House and Basic Needs Support

  • Provision of comprehensive Safe House services and basic needs for GBV survivors.

  • Provision of food, dignity kits, and non-food items (NFIs) according to survivors’ needs.

  • Provision of food and cash assistance for highly vulnerable women survivors, including those caring for children whose paternity is unknown.

  • Provision of a safe, confidential, and supportive environment that promotes protection, dignity, and recovery.

2. Health and Medical Services

  • Provision of health care services to GBV survivors at Safe Houses.

  • Establishment of referral linkages with hospitals and health facilities for further medical assessment, treatment, and specialized care.

  • Facilitation of access to appropriate health services based on individual needs.

3. Psychosocial Support and Counseling

  • Provision of individual counseling services for survivors.

  • Provision of group psychosocial support activities.

  • Referral to specialized mental health and psychosocial services when needed.

  • Provision of recreational and social activities to promote communication, social interaction, confidence, and well-being.

4. Child Care and Child Protection

  • Provision of child care services for children accompanying survivors.

  • Engagement of children in child-friendly activities within a safe and supportive environment.

  • Provision of parental education on child rights and protection.

5. Legal Support and Referral Services

  • Provision of legal follow-up and support services.

  • Establishment of referral linkages with relevant sectors and service providers to address the multisectoral needs of survivors.

  • Facilitation of coordinated access to health, legal, protection, psychosocial, and other essential services.

6. Capacity Building and Staff Development

  • Capacity building and training of staff on:

    • Gender-Based Violence (GBV)

    • Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA)

    • Case management

    • Minimum standards for GBV services

    • Burnout and stress management

    • Self-care and staff well-being

7. Livelihood and Economic Empowerment

  • Provision of business skills training for selected survivors.

  • Facilitation of livelihood opportunities and linkages for survivors who complete relevant skills training.

  • Supporting survivors to develop skills that contribute to economic independence and sustainable reintegration.

8. Awareness Raising and Community Engagement

  • Conducting awareness-raising sessions on relevant issues for survivors admitted to Safe Houses.

  • Mobilizing and raising awareness among GBV survivors and communities at the grassroots level to increase access to available services.

  • Conducting community awareness activities to prevent and reduce social stigma and discrimination against GBV survivors.

  • Advocating for the rights and needs of survivors, particularly regarding quality service provision and accountability.

9. Reintegration and Recovery

  • Supporting the safe and sustainable reintegration of survivors into their families and communities, where appropriate.

  • Providing follow-up and linkages to services that support survivors’ recovery, independence, and long-term well-being.

10. Coordination, Collaboration, and Partnership

  • Ensuring coordinated and collaborative service delivery with government institutions, including the Bureau of Women and Social Affairs (BOWA), UN agencies, and other key stakeholders.

  • Strengthening partnerships and referral networks to ensure comprehensive and quality service provision.

  • Mobilizing resources to meet the comprehensive needs of survivors and strengthen service delivery.

11. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Quality Assurance

  • Conducting regular monitoring and evaluation of interventions and services.

  • Assessing service quality and identifying areas for improvement.

  • Using monitoring findings to strengthen accountability, coordination, and quality of services.

Title: Women leadership in recovery, peace and security

location

Easten zone, Atsibi wereda

Project period

April 2024- March 2027

Partners and donors

FCDO/ CARE Ethiopia

Direct project participants

During the project implementation participants there
77 WLiE women group
77 EMAP (Men) groups are actively participating.
Key stakeholder 
WLOs
Indirect participants of the project
Different segments of the community at Atsibi and Atsibi Endaselasie wereda

The main objectives(thematic) areas of the program are:

  1. Protection and GBV response – creating conditions that enable women and girls to participate safely.
  2. Women’s leadership and collective action – supporting women and girls to identify barriers, develop solutions, and lead community actions.
  3. Strengthening WLOs – strengthening and building the capacity, sustainability, and influence of women-led organizations

Implementation and Key Changes

Since the project started, Women Leadership in Emergencies (WLiE) and Engaging Men through Accountable Practice (EMAP) sessions have continued to challenge negative gender social norms and promote positive changes in women’s leadership, meaningful participation, and active decision-making. The sessions created opportunities for women and men to reflect on existing gender norms, understand their roles and responsibilities, and contribute to more inclusive and peaceful communities.

The WLiE women’s group sessions focused on differentiating sex and gender, understanding peace and peacebuilding, promoting women’s participation in peacebuilding, and emphasizing that women’s voices matter. Participants also explored conflict analysis, conflict resolution, conflict and violence, security, conflict sensitivity, and the principles of Do No Harm. These sessions strengthened women’s knowledge, confidence, and capacity to participate meaningfully in decision-making and peacebuilding processes.

The EMAP sessions focused on engaging men in examining gender norms and transforming behaviors that may contribute to inequality and violence. Key topics included sex and gender, gender roles within the home, behavior change, violence and masculinity, power and rights, power dynamics in the household, violence against women and girls (VAWG), taking responsibility, healthy relationships, and men’s role as allies in the community. The sessions also emphasized the important role of women in peacebuilding and encouraged men to support women’s leadership, participation, and decision-making at household and community levels.

Photos

Title:- Enhancing the participation and leadership of women in planning and response to the food security crisis in eastern and south eastern zones of Tigray, Ethiopia.

location

HintaloWoreda freweini tabiya and AtsbiWoredas Ruba feleg Tabiya.

project period

from Oct, 11, 2024 to May 31, 2026

partner and donor

REST and UN WOMEN

Project Title: Empowering Young Women in Tigray through Agribusiness, Enterprise Recovery, and Youth Innovation (YESET Project)

location

Adwa Town, Rural Adwa Woreda, Kolla Temben Woreda, and Abi-Adi Town, Tigray.

key partners

STI, Woreda Administrations, Tabia Administration, woreda and Tabia women affairs, MSE offices, and Agriculture Offices.

donor

MasterCard foundation

Implementation and Key Changes

  • 310 project participants selected:
    • 160 young women for poultry and agribusiness in Adwa Town and Rural Adwa.
    • 120 participants for MSME development in Kolla Temben.
    • 30 participants from Abi-Adi Town.
  • 160 young women trained in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, digital market literacy, and poultry production.
  • 2,400 dual-purpose chicks plus feed, vaccinations, and production equipment distributed to 160 participants.
  • 120 damaged and weakened MSMEs received capacity-gap assessment and business management training.
  • 68 participants engaged in establishing Youth Advisory Groups and accountability mechanisms.
  • 8 youth-led innovative start-ups supported, with potential to create 240 jobs, targeting 80% women and 10% persons with disabilities.
  • Safeguarding, GESI, and PSEAH/PSEA training conducted for key stakeholders.

Overall financial utilization reached 93.56% of the released budget.

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