Ethiopia Insight published on 1 September 2026 a commentary titled "'Let Her Be Heard' Unmasks a Power Struggle over Culture in Ethiopia" by Daniel Hailu.
The "Ler Her Be Heard" campaign urges the Ethiopian government to recognize violence against women and girls as a national crisis requiring coordinated action, accountable leadership, public funding, measurable implementation, and greater transparency.
The Royal United Services Institute published on 18 June 2026 a study titled "Masculinities and Violence in the Horn of Africa Borderlands" by Christopher Hockey and Claudia Wallner.
This paper reveals how masculinity norms fuel conflict, violent extremism, and gender-based violence in the Kenya-Somalia-Ethiopia borderlands, shaping al-Shabaab's recruitment and deepening insecurity. It is based on interviews with experts and community members in two communities: one at the tripoint where Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia meet and the other at the Kenya-Somalia border on the Indian Ocean coastline.
It offers actionable recommendations for defense and security practitioners to address these interconnected challenges.
Medicins san Frontieres just published a study titled "'There Is Something I Want to Tell You . . .' Surviving the Sexual Violence Crisis in Darfur."
Accounts of sexual violence in Darfur have surfaced most visibly during moments of intense fighting in Sudan's Darfur region, often along ethnic lines as a form of collective punishment, part of the broader pattern of atrocities inflicted on civilians. But in the long shadow of conflict, women and girls continue to face sexual violence as a routine and inescapable reality even after the fighting subsides: on roads, in markets, in fields, in their homes, and during displacement.
The testimonies shared in this report demonstrate that sexual violence in Darfur is both woven into daily life and has become a defining feature of the war itself. These voices leave no doubt as to the gravity of this crisis, revealing the scale, pervasiveness, and deliberate nature of sexual violence in Darfur.
Most of the perpetrators were armed, non-civilian men and the survivors often identified paramilitary Rapid Support Force fighters as the attackers.
Deutsche Welle published on 15 March 2026 an article titled "Civil War in Sudan Is a Never-ending Humanitarian Crisis" by Jennifer Holleis,
This update on the civil war in Sudan is a continuing humanitarian crisis increasingly fueled by drone warfare and disappearing from international attention.
World Politics Review published on 28 August 2025 a commentary titled "In Post-War Ethiopia, Tigray's Female Veterans Fear Being Left Behind" by Mehret Berhe and Hilary Matfess.
Women comprised 20 to 30 percent of the Tigrayan Defense Forces during the recent civil war. Female veterans are concerned that they will not receive help in reintegrating into civilian life while victims of sexual violence doubt the perpetrators will be brought to justice.
Population Health Metrics published on 14 March 2025 a study titled "Civilian Death and Injury from Airstrikes: Evidence from the War in Tigray, Ethiopia" by Mulugeta Gebregziabher et al.
The study assessed the impact of airstrikes on civilians from June 2021 until November 2022 during the war between the Ethiopian federal government and the Tigray People's Liberation Front. A total of 1,143 casualties from airstrikes were reported from six zones and 24 districts of Tigray Region. Almost a third of the victims were children under the age of 18 and 45 percent of the casualties were female.
The US Institute of Peace posted on 23 January 2025 a two-minute video clip titled "U.S. Declares Genocide in Sudan: What Does It Mean for Peace?" with former US special envoy for Sudan, Tom Perriello.
The US government concluded that Sudan's paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) committed acts of genocide. This designation permanently delegitimizes the RSF and its leadership. The designation is not reversible.
The most recent issue of the South African Journal of International Affairs published an article titled "A 'Willing Accomplice?' Evaluating South Africa's Response to China's Positions on International Human Rights" by Eduard Jordaan, Rhodes University.
The article assesses South Africa's actions in relation to 132 Chinese-backed attempts to amend UN Human Rights Council resolutions in an anti-human rights direction. The evidence suggests that South Africa has been a willing accomplice in China's effort to weaken international human rights.
This is a one hour and 15-minute Beyond Africa podcast with me hosted by Bernard Ngalim. The major issues discussed are the impact of the upcoming election in the United States on Africa policy, Project 2025 and Africa, trade, aid, investment, and the role of the U.S. private sector.
Human Rights Watch published on 28 July 2024 a report titled "Khartoum Is Not Safe for Women! Sexual Violence against Women and Girls in Sudan's Capital."
The warring military factions in Sudan, especially the Rapid Support Forces, have committed widespread acts of sexual violence in areas of Khartoum over which they exercise control. These acts constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity. Human Rights Watch calls on the African Union and United Nations to deploy a civilian protection force in Sudan's capital.
The Heritage Institute published in March 2024 a study titled "Galmudug: Governance, State Formation, Conflict Dynamics, and Reconciliation" by Yusuf Sheikh Omar and Ahmed Barre.
The study investigates factors shaping the processes of state formation in Galmudug such as clan politics, economic considerations, conflict dynamics, governance, elections, the condition of internally displaced persons, peace, and reconciliation processes.
The UN Human Rights Council published on 29 February 2024 an unedited version of its "Report of the Commission on Human Rights in South Sudan."
The report details a range of human rights violations, abuses, and related crimes, including systematic political repression and economic predation by political elites. Women continue to endure pervasive discrimination, inequality, sexual violence, and sexual slavery. Children suffer egregious violations, arising from the ongoing insurgency and resurgent subnational violence, fueled by local and national elites.
The Conversation published on 11 January 2024 a commentary titled "Chinese Imports Could Undermine Ethiopian Manufacturing- Leaving Women Workers Worst Off" by Sylvanus Kwaku Afesorgbor, University of Guelph, Ruby Acquah, University of Sussex, and Yohannes Ayele, University of Sussex.
China is the largest source of imports for Ethiopia, including inexpensive manufactured goods. Lessons from Ethiopia suggest that cheap imports from China reduce the ability of local manufacturing firms to compete. This, in turn, results in layoffs and lower wages. The authors conclude that women are the first to be laid off work, but import competition also results in lower wages for men.
Physicians for Human Rights published on 24 August 2023 a report titled "Tigray, Ethiopia: Conflict-related Sexual Violence Widespread and Systematic Even After Truce."
A report published by the Physicians for Human Rights, a New York-based organization, and the Organization for Justice and Accountability in the Horn of Africa alleges that Eritrean and Ethiopian armed forces continued to perpetrate sexual violence on a widespread and systemic basis in Tigray Region in the months following signature of the Pretoria Agreement.
Foreign Policy published on 4 August 2023 a commentary titled "Sudan's Failed Democracy Is a Disaster for Women" by Neha Wadekar.
Sudanese women witnessed an opening of possibilities when Omar al-Bashir fell from power in 2018. But it ended in 2021 with the military coup, a declaration of a state-of-emergency, and then the war between the Sudan Armed Forces and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces.
The Conversation published on 11 January 2023 an analysis titled "Chinese Imports Could Undermine Ethiopian Manufacturing--Leaving Women Workers Worst Off" by Sylvanus Kwaku Afesorgbor, Ruby Acquah, and Yohannes Ayele.
Cheap Chinese imports have the effect of undermining African manufacturing. They also have significant impact on the African labor force, especially women. Manufacturing as a share of GDP in Sub Saharan Africa declined from 17 percent in 1995 to 12 percent in 2021. On the other hand, cheap imports from China have the potential to generate jobs in wholesale and retail trade. The authors conclude that African states must ensure that Chinese manufacturing investment in Africa transfer skills to local companies.
Foreign Policy published on 24 September 2022 and article titled "The Dark Side of Ethiopia's Export Boom" by Sophie Cousins.
The article describes working conditions for women at Ethiopia's Chinese-built Hawassa Industrial Park. Not everything is positive.
The Mogadishu-based Heritage Institute published in July 2022 a study titled "Women and Politics: Overcoming Barriers of Political Representation in Somalia" by Ladan Affi, Zayed University in the UAE, and Zainab M. Hassan, executive director of the Somali Gender Equity Movement.
Women in Somali government positions remain under the 30 percent goal promised by the government of Somalia. The study examines the public perception of women's political participation as well as the opportunities and challenges they face in pursuit of political engagement.
The Heritage Institute for Policy Studies published in July 2022 a report titled "Women and Politics: Overcoming Barriers of Political Representation in Somalia" by Ladan Affi and Zainab M. Hassan.
This report examines the public perception of women's political participation as well as the opportunities and challenges they face in Somali politics.
African Arguments posted on 8 March 2022 a commentary titled "Ethiopia's National Dialogue Commission: Where Are the Women?" by Endegena Ashenafi, Oxfam Ethiopia, and Elizabeth Ashamu Deng, Oxfam Pan-Africa.
In December 2021, Ethiopia agreed to establish a National Dialogue Commission to oversee "broad-based inclusive public dialogue that engenders national consensus." The final list of 11 commissioners includes 3 women. The authors argue this is not adequate.
