Women-led civil society groups and human rights defenders have warned that the destruction of schools during Ethiopia’s war on Tigray has pushed girls out of education on a massive scale, threatening what they describe as a long-term erosion of women’s rights and economic participation in the region.
In an open letter released this week, the groups said the war that began in November 2020 dismantled Tigray’s education system, with schools looted, burned, militarised or converted into shelters for displaced people.
According to figures cited in the letter from the Tigray Education Bureau, about 88% of classrooms in the region were damaged during the conflict, while more than 2,100 members of the school community were killed. The letter states that 84% of those killed were female students.
“The destruction of education in Tigray is not only a humanitarian failure, it is a violation of girls’ fundamental human rights.“ the signatories wrote, warning that many girls may never return to school. The letter said girls in Tigray face heightened risks of permanent dropout due to poverty, displacement and entrenched gender norms.
It cited reports of rape, sexual slavery and forced pregnancy, leaving survivors traumatised, stigmatised and often unable to resume schooling. Even where schools have reopened, many remain unsafe or inaccessible, lacking water and sanitation facilities, psychosocial services and protections for adolescent girls and girls with disabilities.
The long-term consequences of denying girls access to education are profound, the groups said, warning that it entrenches gender inequality, limits economic and civic participation, and increases vulnerability to exploitation and poverty. The letter calls on the Tigray Interim administration, Ethiopia’s federal government, international donors and United Nations agencies to urgently prioritise girls’ education in the region.
“Education is not a privilege, it is a lifeline,” the letter said. “For Tigrayan girls, restoring education means restoring safety, dignity, and the possibility of a future free from violence and inequality.”
The letter was signed by individual women human rights defenders and women led civic organisations including Down Syndrome Ethiopia, Empowered Sisterhood Mekelle, Gender Empowerment Movement Tigray (GEM Tigray), Nolawi Women and Children Recovery and Development Organization, Sheba Podcast, Umbrella for the Needy, the Women with Disabilities Development Association of Tigray, and Yikhono,