Joint Statement by Tigrayan Women Human Rights Defenders, Women-Led Civil Society Organizations, Women’s Movements, and Community Groups on the African Women’s Day

Today, on the African Women’s Day, we stand in solidarity with women and girls across Africa and the global African diaspora. We celebrate our resilience, leadership, knowledge, and contributions to building more just, peaceful, and inclusive societies. At the same time, we draw urgent attention to the ongoing plights faced by Tigrayan women and girls, whose rights, dignity, and futures continue to be threatened by the enduring consequences and continued threats of war, forced displacement, and structural discrimination.

The experiences of African women and girls are diverse, yet many are united by shared struggles against racism, exclusion, war, poverty, gender-based violence, and unequal access to opportunities. For Tigrayan women and girls, these challenges have been compounded by one of the most devastating genocidal wars in recent African history.

Millions of Tigrayan women and girls have survived systematic conflict-related sexual violence, forced displacement, family separation, and the deliberate destruction of livelihoods. Many continue to face severe restrictions to accessing healthcare, psychosocial support, justice, education, and economic opportunities. Survivors have shown extraordinary courage, yet too many remain without adequate support or meaningful accountability for the egregious violations committed against us.

The future of Tigrayan girls also remains uncertain. The deliberate destruction of schools during the genocidal war, continuing blockade by the Ethiopian government, widespread poverty, forced displacement, and continued instability have disrupted education for an entire generation. Every girl denied education is denied the opportunity to fully participate in rebuilding
her community and shaping her future.

Despite these immense challenges, Tigrayan women continue to lead. Women have organized humanitarian responses, supported survivors, rebuilt communities, defended human rights, promoted peace, sustained households, and preserved social cohesion under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. Our leadership deserves recognition, protection, and investment—not marginalization.

On African Women’s Day, we call for:

• Safe, voluntary, dignified, informed return of the displaced to their rightful and historical lands.
• Lifting of the blockade by the Ethiopian government.
• Meaningful participation of Tigrayan women in all peacebuilding, governance, recovery, and political decision-making processes.
• Comprehensive support for survivors of systematic conflict-related sexual violence, including accessible healthcare, psychosocial services, legal assistance, and sustainable livelihoods.
• Independent, impartial, and survivor-centered accountability for grave human rights violations committed during the genocidal war.
• Accelerated investment in rebuilding schools, expanding educational opportunities, and ensuring safe, inclusive learning environments for girls.
• Increased financial and technical support for women-led organizations and movements as well as grassroots initiatives that continue to serve communities despite limited resources and extraordinarily difficult circumstances.
• Stronger protection of women human rights defenders, journalists, peacebuilders, and civil society actors working to advance peace, justice and human rights.
• Long-term investments in economic empowerment, digital inclusion, climate resilience, and leadership opportunities for women and girls.