
Women and girls in Ethiopia’s Amhara region are facing a hidden crisis of conflict-related sexual violence as fighting between the national army and Fano militias continues. Survivors describe soldiers entering homes, threatening family members, and committing rape as a weapon of intimidation and punishment. Many victims, some as young as eight, are left in physical pain, psychological trauma, and deep shame, fearing stigma from their communities and even from their churches. Limited medical access means many do not receive the urgent treatment which could prevent HIV or pregnancy. Health workers report rising cases, but say that the numbers available represent only a fraction of the suffering, especially as law and order has broken down and accountability is rare. Rights groups warn that the violence reflects a pattern of impunity within Ethiopia’s security forces. For women like Enat, who is now raising a child conceived by rape, survival is overshadowed by fear, loss, and an uncertain future - yet also remarkable courage.