A conflict between the government of Ethiopia and the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) based in the northern Tigray region has thrown the country into turmoil.
The war broke out on 4 November last year, when Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy ordered a military offensive against the TPLF.
Recently, Oromo rebel groups joined forces with the TPLF and have been advancing towards the capital Addis Ababa, with the Prime Minister encouraging people to take up arms and defend the city today, 1st of November 2021.
As the conflict continues to escalate and displace thousands of people, the situation for women and girls is especially dire. Amnesty International has "overwhelming evidence" to show that gender-based violence has been rampant since the start of the conflict.
“It’s clear that rape and sexual violence have been used as a weapon of war to inflict lasting physical and psychological damage on women and girls in Tigray. Hundreds have been subjected to brutal treatment aimed at degrading and dehumanizing them,” said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International’s Secretary General.
The rights group interviewed 63 women and children from Tigray who said they had been raped by Ethiopian troops, their Eritrean allies, or by pro-government fighters from the neighbouring region of Amhara.
Now that the conflict is spreading throughout the country, Amnesty is monitoring the rights violations against women and children, which are likely to increase as fighting continues.