By: Goshu Melisew
The Ethiopian Women’s Development Organization (EWDO), in partnership with the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA), held a high-level national dialogue Saturday to address legal and policy gaps in addressing online gender-based violence in Ethiopia. The discussion was supported by a Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa Sub-Grant.
The consultation workshop brought together women-led organizations, policymakers, federal judges, women lawyers, representatives from various federal institutions including INSA, community leaders, influential women and key stakeholders to discuss practical solutions to address the increasing incidence of digital gender-based violence.
Welcoming participants, the EWDO Executive Director and Program Coordinator highlighted the urgent need to develop collaborative and inclusive responses to violence against women.
The discussion was officially opened by the State Minister of Education, Ayelech Eshete, who gave opening remarks and emphasized the government’s commitment to supporting such platforms.
During the discussions, Meron Aragaw, Gender, Youth and Inclusion Advisor at Engender Health, provided a strong analysis of gender-based online violence, legal gaps and the broader impact on women’s safety and digital spaces. Article 35 Executive Director Kiya Ali summarized the challenges of online violence at the country level and outlined joint actions for the future.
The session was facilitated by Feven Araya, Executive Director of Ethiopian Women’s Rights Advocates/EWRA, who emphasized that combating gender-based violence requires the collaboration of all institutions, not just one sector.
They commended the diversity and depth of the participants and urged stakeholders to take ownership of the issue.
The forum concluded with a shared commitment by stakeholders to address legal gaps, raise awareness, and protect women from digital harm in a rights-based and inclusive manner.