ETHIOPIA
- Introduction
Last updated 2019 – Ethiopia committed to the development of WPS UNSCR 1325 NAP in 2019 to be produced by August 2020.
Current update - The process stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the outbreak of civil war and authoritarian measures. The Ministry of Women and Social Affairs aspired to have a NAP ready by September 2020. A two stage consultative process between the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs and CSOs has taken place in February and March 2024, implementing a project “Support to National Action Plan on Women Peace Security process in Ethiopia.”
- Objectives
Ethiopia’s first NAP has not been finalised. The background NAP documents serve to provide the future NAP guidelines and serves to highlight the key steps in developing a NAP on WPS issues in Ethiopia. This page will be updated as and when the official NAP is finalised.
- Commentary
Before the initial phases of the Ethiopian development of a NAP in 2019, the WPS agenda and UNSCR 1325 did not form a part of Ethiopia’s policy landscape. Development and implementation of the country’s first NAP has been slow since 2019, while the need for its finalisation and implementation remains urgent in 2025. Ethiopia has a history of conflict-related sexual violence and more recently, “The United Nations verified 3,688 reported cases of conflict-related sexual violence in 2023, a shocking 50 per cent increase from the previous year. The highest numbers were recorded in Ethiopia (835) and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (733).”
- Methodology/Civil Society & Stakeholders
Concerns have been raised that the NAP process has not followed a broad and inclusive consultative process, with the ongoing civil war thwarting the NAP development work particularly in 2020 when the Ethiopian government took authoritarian measures. Researchers have emphasised that Ethiopian government may miss an opportunity to link the NAP with other transitional justice processes in the country in post-conflict Ethiopia. The Ministry of Women and Social Affairs were tasked with the initial phase of drafting however, both the government and civil society organisations (CSOs), marginalised the NAP process due to the conflict. However, issues between the Ethiopian Government and the UN Security Council (UNSC) exacerbated reservations to adopt and implement the first NAP. A two-round consultation with CSOs took place from February 27–28, 2024, and February 29–March 1, 2024 with the aim of making sure all the voices from CSOs working on gender equality and women empowerment, peacebuilding, and conflict resolution, are included in the process of developing and implementing the National Action Plan on WPS in Ethiopia.
- UN Peacekeeping basic statistics
As at 31 January 2025 Ethiopia has contributed a total of 1533 uniformed personnel to the UN, mainly under deployment in UNISFA and UNMISS. Of the 1533 uniformed personnel 207 of these were women.
- NAP and SW’s Mission
In spite of the challenges including lack of political will and lack of effective coordination to finalise Ethiopia’s first NAP, the Ethiopian Government includes a considerable portion of women in its UN contribution of uniformed personnel to peacekeeping missions. In the face of political instability, grassroots efforts by CSOs and women in government alike, continue to push towards NAP finalisation and implementation. Further progress on the finalisation of its NAP has not yet been made available, this page will be updated with its final publication once confirmed.
- List the sources:
- NAP background document UN Women ECO 2022.
- UN Women Africa, “Engaging the Civil Society in Developing Ethiopia’s National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security,” (7 August 2024)
- UN Women, 2022: Developing a national action plan on women, peace and security in Ethiopia. | Publications | UN Women – Africa
- “Facts and figures: Women, Peace, and Security” UN Women (accessed on 04/04/2025) https://www.unwomen.org/en/articles/facts-and-figures/facts-and-figures-women-peace-and-security
- K. Tornius, M. Kolling, and L. Engberg-Pedersen, “Implementing the Global, Women, Peace and Security Agenda in Ethiopia, Kenya and Mali,” (DIIS:2023)ISBN 978-87-7236-112-3 pdf.(p27-p30)
- Contribution of Uniformed Personnel to UN by Country, Mission, and Personnel Type Experts on Mission, Formed Police Units, Individual Police, Staff Officer, and Troops As of: 31/01/2025
