Strengthening Community-based GBV prevention and response in Afar

The Afar pastoral women   and girls have faced various critical challenges. Internally displaced women and girls living in the Region have been particularly exposed to sexual violence. 

To address these multi-faceted challenges, UN Women, through the Women Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) supports the local women’s rights organization, Afar Community Initiative Sustainable Development Association (ACISDA), to improve the lives of marginalized and hard-to-reach pastoral women and girls in Afar. 

Zahra Mohammed, a dedicated women and children’s officer at Aba’ala district police in Afar region, has witnessed firsthand the difference the project is making. She believes there is significant improvement in GBV response and case handling in the district, and she points to one critical reason: the establishment of a coordination platform that brings all service providers and community leaders responsible to respond to VAWG. This platform, established through UN Women and ACISDA’s joint project, has given Zahra and her colleagues the tools to work hand in hand, ensuring that no survivor is left without protection or a path to justice. 

Zahra noted that the platform strengthened collaboration among all service providers to ensure that GBV cases reported are effectively referred to the different police, health, legal and other response services. “Taking cases to elders and solve them the ‘traditional’ way did not allow holding perpetrators accountable, but the newly established coordination mechanism helped us narrow this gap” Zahara reckons.

Although Zahra remains hopeful for greater change, she does not shy away from speaking about the challenges. “When we take cases to court, the lack of medical evidence in rape cases makes it almost impossible to secure convictions or appropriate sentences. On top of that, tribal and religious leaders create many hurdles—sometimes even going as far as removing perpetrators from prison. We hope this project will help us change this reality,” she concludes. 

ACISDA already provided training to 45 established grassroot law enforcement body forum members on women’s rights, gender equality, and prevention of GBV for them to ensure effective access to justice. By developing their own GBV mitigation action plan, these law enforcement body forums are now able to monitor GBV cases within the communities. As a result, eleven GBV cases were reported to court and have resulted in legal actions, and the survivors were provided with Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services.

Mekia Abdella, a Women and Social Affairs officer in Aba’ala district, has seen the devastating toll that conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV) has taken on her community. “There is a one stop center, and when cases get reported, we immediately refer survivors to receive comprehensive essential services. We also follow up their cases in court.” Thanks to the community mobilization campaigns supported by ACISDA’s projects, Mekia has also witnessed a decline in harmful practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage—an encouraging sign of progress amidst the challenges.

Both Zahra and Mekia recall that before the conflict, rape was rare in their communities. It was such a cultural taboo that perpetrators risked being ostracized by their tribe, and in some cases, even faced violent retribution from survivors’ families. “The war changed everything,” they explain. Sexual violence has become rampant, especially in areas directly affected by fighting and in neighboring districts.

Adnan Hussien, Program Manager at ACISDA, states that the partnership with UN Women and the support of WPHF funding has enabled the organization to expand its reach from one to four districts, including some of the most hard-to-reach areas of Afar. The project has also elevated ACISDA’s visibility and sparked wider public discussion on GBV. As part of this effort, ACISDA trained 20 journalists from Afar TV, radio, and social media, equipping them with the skills to report more responsibly and effectively on gender-based violence—particularly in the context of internally displaced people (IDPs) in the region.

As someone who was born and raised in the region, Adnan has seen the reality of women’s and girls’ rights up close. “I worked in Bureau of Women and Social Affairs of the region for 12 years. From my experience, I can say that thanks to organizations like UN Women, women’s issues are finally being acknowledged in the region and are starting to get the attention they deserve,” he explains. 

He reflects on how deeply rooted gender inequalities once were. “The status of women used to be so low—some weren’t even allowed to eat with their husbands, and most never dared to speak up. But now, slowly, this is changing as women gain access to education,” Adnan adds, with guarded hope for the future.

Through the project led by Adnan and his colleagues at ACISDA, more than 33,000 women and girls have already been reached across conflict-affected areas of Afar. A key part of this impact has come from strengthening the influence and agency of 70 women development association leaders, women’s rights defenders, and women political representatives, enabling them to play a more active role in ending sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV). 

Local Innovation Takes Center Stage for Food Security and Resilience: IGNITE Food Systems Challenge 2.0 in Ethiopia

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia – Twelve promising innovators from Ethiopia’s Somali and Tigray regions gathered in September to pitch innovative solutions aimed at transforming food systems and building resilience. The pitch created a platform for enterprises that have innovative and community-driven solutions to tackle food insecurity in Ethiopia.

The event marked a key milestone in IGNITE Food Systems Innovation Challenge, a flagship initiative led by the World Food Programme (WFP) and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark (DANIDA). The challenge, now in its second round, builds on the success of its inaugural edition in Afar and Amhara, where six agri-SMEs received equity-free grants and technical support. This year, the focus shifted to the Somali and Tigray regions, areas deeply affected by climate shocks, conflicts and systemic food system vulnerabilities. 

The 12 semi-finalists, selected from a competitive pool of applicants, presented innovations spanning agricultural productivity, value addition, post-harvest management, digitization, and market access. Each team had the opportunity to pitch their ideas to a panel of judges and presented their solutions for a more food-secure and resilient Ethiopia.

Of the 12 strong pitches, seven finalists were chosen based on a rigorous evaluation process that considered innovation potential, scalability, impact on food systems resilience, potential for integration with WFP and partner programmes, and business viability. The selected teams demonstrated not only strong technical solutions but also a clear understanding of local challenges and a commitment to inclusive, sustainable development.

What’s at Stake

The seven winners of the challenge will receive up to 30,000 USD in grant funding, access to acceleration support, market linkages, and connections to investment opportunities including the World Food Invest – WFP's new impact fund aimed at supporting private sector role in food systems transformation. 

As the selected ventures move into the acceleration phase, they will receive tailored technical support to refine their business models and prepare for scale. The ultimate goal is to integrate successful innovations into WFP operations and national food systems, ensuring lasting impact.

With climate change and food insecurity posing urgent threats, IGNITE 2.0 demonstrates the critical role of local innovation in building resilient, nutrition-sensitive food systems and ensure a more food-secure future for Ethiopia.