From the Courtroom to Community Shelters: Maria Munir’s Fight Against Gender-Based Violence

She has spent most of her life fighting violence against women and girls and promoting gender equality. Maria is the founder and Executive Director of the Association for Women’s Sanctuary and Development (AWSAD), UN Women Ethiopia’s key implementing partner. Established in 2005, AWSAD provides shelter and comprehensive essential services to survivors of sexual violence, including counseling, medical care, legal aid, and skills training to help them reintegrate into society.

While serving as a judge at the Federal High Court, Maria witnessed the challenges women faced in accessing justice. This experience led her and fellow female lawyers to establish the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA) in 1995. “I became a strong advocate for women’s rights through the provision of legal aid to ensure equal access to justice and to push for law reforms that protect women’s rights,” Maria said.

AWSAD also provides multisectoral training for service providers at both institutional and community levels, helping ensure that gender issues are well understood and mainstreamed into violence prevention and response services.

Maria is often seen with survivors at AWSAD, engaging in art and craft activities—an important part of the healing process. 

According to the 2016 Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey, 23 percent of Ethiopian women aged 15–49 have experienced physical violence, and 10 percent have experienced sexual violence. At least one in three women has faced spousal violence. Contributing factors include discriminatory traditional norms, gaps in the legal framework, low awareness and enforcement of existing laws, and limited comprehensive services for survivors.

A national report on the implementation of the Beijing Declaration, published by the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs in June 2024 with support from UN Women, highlights the continued impact of restrictive social norms and humanitarian crises, which increase the vulnerability of women and girls to gender-based violence (GBV). The demand for GBV services remains high and largely unmet, pointing to the need for better coordination and expansion of services.

Maria also highlights new challenges in the fight against GBV. “Technology-facilitated gender-based violence, sexual violence targeting young children, and persistent gaps in awareness are all slowing progress,” she says. “Social media and other technologies are creating new forms of VAWG at an alarming rate. The lack of systems to hold perpetrators accountable only encourages more violence. We need an urgent shift in our prevention and response approaches.”

She has observed a shift in societal attitudes since she began her work. “When we established AWSAD over 20 years ago, I had to persevere to justify its need in a country where traditional norms normalized VAWG and biased attitudes toward women and girls were prevalent,” she reflects. “Today, it’s different. Thanks to the effectiveness of our comprehensive services, even those who initially opposed us—and the government—are now coming to us to help expand the services.”

Maria currently chairs the Ethiopian Network of Women’s Shelters (ENWS) and supports an association of rehabilitated survivors who give back to the community by advocating to end violence against women and girls.

As AWSAD continues to expand its services, so does the demand for action. “Considering the magnitude of the problem, what we have done so far is just a drop in the ocean,” says Maria. “Our community outreach is encouraging more survivors to seek help. Turning them away due to limited space breaks my heart. This work requires continuous commitment and accountability.”

Now, Maria is leading the expansion of AWSAD’s facilities on the outskirts of Addis Ababa. “When we started, ending VAWG was seen as our concern alone. Today, the police, religious leaders, elders, men, and boys are joining the call to end violence against women and girls,” she emphasizes.