Cinzia Canneri - Women's Bodies as Battlefields | World Press Photo

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Zhaynesh (38) and Salem (40), not their real names, present data they have collected on sexual violence during the Tigray war. The governments of Ethiopia and Eritrea have never acknowledged any war crimes or acts of sexual violence committed by their armed forces. Sheraro, Tigray, Ethiopia, 22 December 2023.
Despite facing immense challenges, young Tigrayan refugee women dedicate time to self-care and socialization. Social interaction provides a crucial support system, helping them process trauma, maintain normalcy, and redefine their identities. Shire, Tigray, Ethiopia, 26 March 2024.
Marhawit (21, center) leads a group of female soldiers in a cheer. Many are minors who joined the Tigrayan army for safety. Leaders like Marhawit provide emotional support and a sense of unity and purpose. Neblet, Tigray, Ethiopia, 7 April 2024.
Tsigue (39, not her real name) and her daughter (5) embrace each other. Tsigue was raped by Eritrean soldiers when the war began. Her husband left her shortly thereafter. Women raped during the war are almost always abandoned by their husbands. Adigrat, Tigray, Ethiopia, 12 December 2023.
Objects on display at the Martyr’s Memorial Monument Museum belonging to women who were raped there. The museum originally memorialized the Tigarayan struggles against Ethiopian forces; when war broke out in 2020, Ethiopian National Defense Forces (ENDF) turned it into a detention center where Tigrayan women were raped and tortured. Mekelle, Tigray, Ethiopia, 25 December 2023.
Despite experiencing trauma, the girls find strength and support in their shared experiences, fostering resilience, self-confidence, and collective strength. Um Rakuba Refugee camp, Gedaref, Sudan, 4 June 2021.
Zayid (23, not her real name) shows a scar left by a bullet. Zayid was raped at a refugee camp in Amhara. When fleeing to Addis Ababa with her family, she and her sister were shot and wounded by Amhara soldiers. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 30 November 2022.
Yohanna (22) resting next to her mother after she received treatment for complications arising from kidney removal. Shot by Eritrean police at the border, she woke up at a hospital where she learned that one of her kidneys had been removed. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 31 October 2017.

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