Eritrean Women
Women contributed greatly to Eritrea. They were not rewarded for this.
During the Ethiopian occupation, women were heavily involved in the resistance movement. They fought alongside the men in the EPLF, the Eritrean People's Liberation Front. Following the Marxist philosophy the EPLF decided that equality among men and women would be one of the focal points of their organization. They followed the slogan "Equality through equal participation".Even though they touted women's equality, this was not the reality. Women were not exactly recognized. Instead, they wore androgynous clothing and inhabited a masculine role. Victoria Bernal explained this phenomena in her article "From Warriors to Wives: Contradictions of Liberation and Development in Eritrea" on page 135.
Gender equality was constructed by EPLF in part through the erasure of the feminine.26 This is reflected in the photographs of fighters that illustrate news articles and EPLF publications: women and men dress alike in khaki and rubber sandals and wear their hair “Afro” style. Indeed, one foreign visitor to the field reported difficulty distinguishing women from men.27 Says one ex-fighter, “I never knew myself as a woman. I thought of myself as a man. I faced the same problems as men.”28 The construction of women as not only equal to men but as male equivalents meant, however, that some profound issues of gender relations were not so much transformed by EPLF’s cultural revolution as repressed and rendered invisible.29Once Eritrea gained independence women were expected to return to their traditional roles. Society treasured them as child-bearers and good wives, not as independent women. In addition, jobs were not available and the communal style living of the EPLF—in which childcare, healthcare, and education were provided—was no longer there to support working moms.
Today, the Eritrean National Service (ENS) poses a unique threat to women in terms of abuse.
Mandatory participation in the ENS requires young women to attend training camps where abuse is rampant and there are no protections. Women are at the mercy of their superiors who often take advantage of the situation. Hiba Said from Ethiopia Insight shares the horrors women endured in her article "No peace for Eritrea's long-suffering female conscripts".Survivors of military service say those who refused sexual relations to a military leader endured punishments such as being locked in shipping containers and underground cells, exposure to extremely hot temperatures, beaten, tortured, denied leave, deprived of food, suspension from trees, sent to dangerous locations such as the front line, and other cruel and unusual punishments.
Strong social stigma makes life difficult for rape victims.
Rape is the most dishonorable thing that can happen to a woman's body in Eritrea.Fleeing is incredibly dangerous.
It is dangerous for women to flee Eritrea. If you are caught trying to flee Eritrea you can be detained, without trial, indefinitely. Ciham Ali Ahmed is one young women who attempted to flee and was detained. She was 15 when she was arrested in 2012 and no one has heard from her since. Her situation is unique because she is a US citizen. The US is aware of the situation but has not publicly shared their plan of action. CNN reporter Stephanie Busari shared a statement from Ciham's father in her article: "Jailed at 15 she dreamed of being a fashion designer. No trial and 6 years later, she's still missing"."Because she is US born... I really thought the government of the United States would scream bloody murder but no one is speaking for her. It's very, very disappointing. She is a United States citizen but because she grew up in Eritrea and because her parents are Eritreans, then I guess she is not fully American," he says.
The detention centers are horrific places were people are tortured. Hear witnesses for the UN Human Rights Council share the torture they witnessed:
Detention is just one of many things to fear when fleeing Eritrea. Women must avoid or survive harsh conditions, kidnapping, rape, and refugee camps.