From Silence to Strength: A Survivor-Centered SGBV Response in Afar

In the dry, remote landscape of Dubti district in Ethiopia’s Afar Region, access to timely and compassionate care can mean the difference between silence and survival. For many survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV), especially adolescent girls, that access is often out of reach, blocked by stigma, weak referral systems, and limited coordinated support.

Hawa’s story could have ended there.

At just 17, Hawa was a Grade 9 student known for her discipline and quiet determination. One evening, on her way to a nearby shop, she was abducted and sexually assaulted. Injured and left on the road, she was later found by community members who helped her reach the police and then the Dubti General Hospital One Stop Center.

But what happened next changed everything.

Through the WISH 2 project, implemented by Family Guidance Association of Ethiopia, Hawa was immediately enrolled in a survivor-centered case management programme. A trained SGBV case worker took the lead, ensuring that Hawa was not just treated, but supported, protected, and heard.

She received emergency clinical care, including post-rape treatment and two days of inpatient monitoring, ongoing medical follow-up, ensuring her physical recovery. She got also a structured psychosocial support, helping her process trauma and rebuild emotional stability.

"At first, I felt like my life had ended,” Hawa shared quietly. “But the support I received helped me feel like I still have a future.”

This was not a one-off intervention. It was part of a coordinated system strengthened under WISH 2, bringing together healthcare providers, legal actors, and social services through standardized referral pathways and survivor-centered protocols.

Recovery did not stop at healing.

With continued counselling and guidance from her case worker, Hawa regained confidence and began to make informed decisions about her future. When members of the community pressured her family to settle the case informally, she made a different choice.

She chose justice. Hawa’s story reflects a broader shift.

Addressing these challenges, WISH 2 Project took specific steps. Trained health professionals on Clinical Management of Rape (CMR). Held consultative workshops with health sectors, women's and social affairs offices, legal agencies, and key stakeholders. The project developed and distributed easy-to-understand referral guides to SGBV to help key actors. Provided support to improve how community and service providers work together and refer cases to one another.

"Survivors need more than care; they need systems that work. That means investing in training, improving coordination, strengthening data, and building partnerships that ensure access to shelter, food, and transportation." SGBV Case Worker, Dubti One Stop Center

In collaboration with Ipas, organized a two-days advocacy workshop on abortion and SGBV. This workshop brought together decision-makers and pertinent stakeholders from regional and district levels to discuss these topics. These efforts are beginning to close long-standing gaps in humanitarian settings like Dubti, where survivors often fall through the cracks.

Despite this progress, challenges remain. Survivors like Hawa still face gaps in access to basic recovery support such as food, transport, and shelter, availability of safe spaces for women and girls and capacity among some frontline responders, particularly in legal and police services.

Hawa’s journey shows what is possible when services are coordinated, compassionate, and centered on the survivor.