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Tewabe DS, Azage M, Wubetu GY, Fenta SA, Worke MD, Asres AM, Getnet WA, Kassie GG, Menber Y, Munea AM, Zeru T, Bekele SA, Abdulahi SO, Adamne TB, Belete HD, Beyene BB, Abte M, Mersha TB, Dadi AF, Enquobahrie DA, Frissa SM, Geda YE. Gender-based violence in the context of armed conflict in Northern Ethiopia. Confl Health 2024; 18:1. [PMID: 38172905 PMCID: PMC10763028 DOI: 10.1186/s13031-023-00563-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Gender-based violence (GBV) particularly against women is unfortunately common during armed conflicts. No rigorous and comprehensive empirical work has documented the extent of GBV and its consequences that took place during the two years of devastating armed conflict in Northern Ethiopia. This study aims to assess GBV and its consequences in war-torn areas of northern Ethiopia. METHODS We used a qualitative method augmented by quantitative method to enroll research participants. We conducted in-depth interviews to characterize the lived experiences of GBV survivors. All interviews were conducted confidentially. The data were collected to the point of data saturation. All interviews were transcribed verbatim into local language, translated into English, and analyzed using a thematic analysis approach. We also used reports from healthcare facilities and conducted a descriptive analysis of the demographic characteristics of study participants. RESULTS One thousand one hundred seventy-seven persons reported GBV to healthcare providers. The qualitative study identified several forms of violence (sexual, physical, and psychological). Gang rape against women including minors as young as 14 years old girls was reported. Additionally, the perpetrators sexually violated women who were pregnant, and elderly women as old as 65 years, who took refuge in religious institutions. The perpetrators committed direct assaults on the body with items (e.g., burning the body with cigarette fire) or weapons, holding women and girls as captives, and deprivation of sleep and food. GBV survivors reported stigma, prejudice, suicide attempts, nightmares, and hopelessness. GBV survivors dealt with the traumatic stress by outmigration (leaving their residences), seeking care at healthcare facilities, self-isolation, being silent, dropping out of school, and seeking counseling. CONCLUSION GBV survivors were subjected to multiple and compounding types of violence, with a wide range of adverse health consequences for survivors and their families. GBV survivors require multifaceted interventions including psychological, health, and economic support to rehabilitate them to lead a productive life.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Muluken Azage
- School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, P.o.Box: 79, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia.
| | | | - Sisay Awoke Fenta
- Emergency Response and Recovery Officer, Amhara Region, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Mulugeta Dile Worke
- Department of Midwifery, College of Health Sciences, Debre Tabor University, Debre Tabor, Ethiopia
| | | | - Wallelign Alemnew Getnet
- Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
| | - Genet Gedamu Kassie
- School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, P.o.Box: 79, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Yonatan Menber
- School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, P.o.Box: 79, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Alemtsehay Mekonnen Munea
- School of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Bahir Dar University, P.o.Box: 79, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Taye Zeru
- Amhara Public Health Institute, Amhara Region, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Melkamu Abte
- Amhara Regional Health Bureau, Amhara Region, Bahir Dar, Ethiopia
| | - Tesfaye B Mersha
- Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Abel Fekadu Dadi
- Institute of Public Health, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia
- Menzies School of Health Research, Charles Darwin University, Casuarina, Australia
| | - Daniel A Enquobahrie
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Souci M Frissa
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, Health Service and Population Research Department, Centre for Global Mental Health, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Yonas E Geda
- Department of Neurology and the Franke Barrow Global Neuroscience Education Center, Barrow Neurological Institute, Phoenix, AZ, USA
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