Department of Anthropology

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://repository.mu.edu.et/handle/123456789/510

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Start date: 2025End date: 2025

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    WAR-RELATED GENDER BASED VIOLENCE AND ITS SOCIAL IMPACT IN AKSUM CITY, TIGRAY; AN ETHNOGRAPHIC STUDY
    (Mekelle University, 2025-06-25) NEBYAT YACHEM
    This ethnographic study examines war-related gender-based violence (GBV) and its social impact in Aksum, Tigray, following the devastating war. The primary objective was to assess GBVs forms, intent, and consequences, while exploring survivor wellbeing, community attitudes, mitigation strategies, and recommendations. Using a descriptive research design, the study engaged 50 participants 15 in-depth interviews, 8 key informants, and 27 focus group discussants selected via purposive snowball sampling. Qualitative data analysis included tabular discussions and percentages. Findings revealed widespread GBV during the war, including physical, sexual, psychological, and economic violence. Survivors suffered severe physical injuries, psychological trauma, sexually transmitted infections (e.g., HIV/AIDS), gynecological complications, unwanted pregnancies, unsafe abortions, and even death. The violence transcended educational, religious, ethnic, and age differences, deeply harming women, girls, families, and communities. Social stigma further marginalized survivors, exacerbating their distress. To mitigate these effects, the study recommends: enhancing education and awareness, providing psychosocial and medical support, involving men and boys in prevention efforts, enforcing stricter GBV laws, and promoting gender equality and womens empowerment. The study stresses the urgent need for coordinated action by government bodies, NGOs, civil societies, and stakeholders to implement GBV prevention programs, support survivors, and hold perpetrators accountable. Addressing GBV is critical not only for individual recovery but also for broader community development and social stability in post-war Tigray.
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    The socio-cultural and Economic consequence of Tigray war on Returnees in Hawzen Woreda: A Case of Megab Tabia in Eastern Tigray-Ethiopia
    (Mekelle University, 2025-06-21) Birhane Mezgebe Gebremeskel
    Due to the Tigray war opened in 2020 millions of people have been displaced from their home land for the sake of peace and stability. The war devastates communities’ infrastructure, like schools, health care center, factories, and individuals house, not only these damages people’s mentality. The main objective of this research study was to investigate the socio cultural and Economic consequences of Tigray war on returnee. Under the main objective, the socio-cultural situation of the returnees as a result of the war, the survival strategies of the war affected people, and the reintegration challenges of returnees were examined. To meet these objectives, focus group discussion, key informant interview, and household survey were employed to collect the data. The research design, and approach was descriptive, and qualitative respectively. The study shows the sociocultural situation of returnee mainly food insecurity, social disarticulation, jobless ness, morbidity, and sexual violence have been increased. They have been also challenged to reform their former life in terms of their economy, and mental health, and encountered several problems to serve their life like having less access to medical services, trauma healing process. They were enforced to serve their life engaging in begging, resilience and adaptability were used as means survival strategy to sustain their life
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    Contribution of Indigenous knowledge to economic development of Creative Industries in Tigray: Case Studies of Basketry and Embroidery in Adi-haqi Market, Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia
    (Mekelle University, 2025-02-25) Tsigab Berihu Beyene
    the creative industries employ mainly culture, creativity and economy and one of its sectors is the handicrafts which is a big potential for economic development in countries with diverse natural resource, culture and heritages. This study, therefore, attempts to investigate the economic contribution of the indigenous knowledge in basketry and embroidery products sold in Adi Haqi market of Mekelle city, Tigray region, Ethiopia. It also explores indigenous knowledge’s role in adding multiple values to the crafts and the challenges and opportunities the two creative industries encounter. Primary data were collected from artisans, handicraft merchants in the micro and small enterprises (MSEs), fashion designers, office of MSEs development of tabia Selam and Tigray bureau of culture and tourism using in-depth interview, key informant interview, focus group discussion (FGD), case studies and observation. findings show that most of the knowledge, materials, process and techniques of the handicrafts are local and they add values including aesthetic, expressive, functional, religious, social, national and historical, political values to the products that increase their importance and price and provide financial gain. Both handicrafts enable craft makers and handicraft merchants become economically self-sufficient and support their household. Although basketry does not generate much revenue to governmental income and has little contribution in job creation in urban environment, the Alaba Adi business, which is based on the art of embroidery, has very high job creation and tax income generation capacity. Although they are 6.3% of the total MSEs in Adi Haqi market, the Aleba Adi shops contribute 70-80% of tax revenue. They have also a high job creation capacity. in the year of 2024/25, out of the people who started MSEs businesses in 14 sectors, 39 (32%) of them were in the Aleba Adi sector. sight problems, back aches, financial shortages costly cross-border transportation fee are challenges in the realm of basketmaking while Aleba Adi sector has shortage of electricity, incapability of accessing new fabrics as challenges. Opportunities in both sectors include cultural and religious holidays and social events, social media, the public acceptance cultural costume, government’s encouragement through skill trainings and loan arrangements. Besides, the ongoing efforts of Tigray culture and tourism bureau to integrate handicrafts with tourism and the Home Grown Economic Reform (HGER) ten years development plan 2021-2030 can be additional opportunities if applied properly. The study, then, recommends a proper application of the current national developmental plan in Tigray Region, an organized effort of supporting artisans and further ethnographical research on the indigenous knowledge of these handicrafts in their place of origin.