Ashenda: A Yearly Opportunity for Celebration and Action

Ashenda is a yearly celebration of women and girls in Tigray. During the week of Ashenda, girls wear their most beautiful traditional clothes, style their hair with intricate braids, apply traditional makeup, and finish their look with a touch of butter on their hair. During the days of Ashenda, Tigray’s women and girls dance through the streets and are given gifts by their community. The celebration typically runs from August 16th to 24th in Tigray. Today, it is an occasion celebrated globally by Tigrayans in the diaspora.  

Ashenda is a special time when girls are celebrated with full freedom and deep respect. They are honored as daughters of Mary, and throughout the week, mistreating or raising one’s voice at any girl is considered shameful, reflecting the festival’s strong religious roots. While each morning and evening, there is a tradition of girls visiting churches, specifically, churches dedicated to the Virgin Mary. If there is not one nearby, they travel to another location to offer their prayers. Ashenda is also a season of courtship. Many young men use this time to find their future wives. There is a popular saying: “Don’t propose to Mary’s daughter or a baptized girl, they’re too beautiful to handle!” And during Ashenda, this rings especially true, as every girl shines with unmatched beauty and confidence. 

Also, among the most cherished expressions of Ashenda in Tigray, there are two joyful chants,  “Maria” and “Ayni Wari.”  The word Maria refers to St. Mary, revered as a symbol of purity, grace, and divine protection. Girls begin their songs with her name, calling upon her blessing and beauty in poetic verses that reflect a deep spiritual connection. Ayni Wari, meaning “Look at me,” captures the bold, expressive spirit of Ashenda, when girls use their voices freely to praise, tease, and even call out social issues in clever, melodic ways. Together, these traditions, while remaining rooted in religion for many, have turned Ashenda into a celebration of identity, femininity, and fearless expression.

Thus, though rooted in religion with spiritual significance for many, today, the celebration of Ashenda has evolved to become more of a cultural rather than a purely religious event. It is a time for the expression of girlhood and womanhood, celebrated regardless of their faith and religion. Ashenda has taken on new meaning since the start of the genocidal war on Tigray in November 2020, which has seen Tigray’s women and girls targeted.

The celebration of Ashenda amidst the effects of genocide is both an act of resilience and a time to reflect on the heinous crimes committed against the women and girls of Tigray by Ethiopian and Eritrean forces. Equally, it is a call to action for support, justice, and an end to ongoing crimes. 

Since the Pretoria Agreement marked the formal end of active war between the Tigray Defense Forces and Ethiopian National Defense Forces in late 2022, Tigrayan women and girls have faced an ongoing crisis of survival and healing, many suffering from the effects of horrific wartime sexual violence and its long-term impacts. As illustrated in a recent report in The Guardian, survivors endured systematic rape, the insertion of foreign objects aimed at causing infertility, acid attacks, and mutilation injuries that continue to affect their physical and mental health, amid collapsed medical services and societal stigma. Post-Pretoria Agreement studies and reports also confirm that sexual violence has persisted even after the Agreement, with documented cases of conflict-related sexual violence continuing in occupied areas. Sexual and gender-based violence across many parts of Tigray has worsened post-Pretoria, as Tigray’s social fabric has been destroyed, and girls and women are being kidnapped and killed at alarming rates.  

As a result, there is an urgent need for comprehensive support, accessible health care, psychosocial healing, legal accountability, economic empowerment, and restoration of dignity. Tigrayan women deserve the pathway to healing that the Pretoria Agreement once promised. 

A Call for Unity and Collective Healing

As we honor the deep spiritual traditions of Ashenda and the resilience of Tigrayan girls, women, boys, and men, we must also confront the truths of recent history. From a heritage rooted in sisterhood to the urgent need for healing from the atrocities of genocidal war, this moment calls on all of us to support Tigray’s women and girls in their healing and path to justice. Simultaneously, this moment also calls upon us to address the trauma of the genocidal war and the needs of the broader society to ensure we heal together as a community. Tigrayans at home and abroad, friends of Tigray, advocates, and human rights defenders must rise together to achieve this.

Unity is not only cultural, it is political, spiritual, and generational. We must support all survivors in Tigray and in refugee camps, not only in celebration but also in justice: ensuring access to healthcare, mental health services (trauma counseling), protection, dignity, and justice, and reparative pathways toward healing. True healing begins when silence breaks, when communities unite, and when every survivor’s voices, regardless of gender, are uplifted, not buried. 

Community leaders and organizations work tirelessly to encourage dialogue, education, and shared responsibility. Breaking cycles of violence and supporting survivors to rebuild trust and restore dignity demands the collective effort of every member of society. If you are not part of this yet, join now and become part of the unity.

Ashenda’s spirit is rooted in remembrance, courage, and celebration. It should inspire Tigrayans everywhere to stand united. Through collective healing, acknowledging pain, and embracing hope, the entire community can move forward together toward a future defined not by division but by solidarity and renewed strength.