Post-war Narratives Of Women Ex-combatants Of The Tigray Peoples Liberation Front (tplf)

The leadership of the TPLF during Ethiopia’s civil war and their military victory over thernDerg was successful for a variety of reasons. In addition to overthrowing the Derg, thernTPLF efficiently organized the involvement of various members of the society during thernstruggle. The involvement of women in the TPLF was an important policy decision andrnwomen’s contributions to the TPLF’s success is an undeniable fact.rnNevertheless, the lack of scholarly research on former women combatants and theirrnexperiences before, during and after the war has inadvertently written women out ofrnEthiopian history. The present study addressed this omission, using a semi-structuredrninterview to analyze the narratives of 20 women ex-combatants living in Addis Ababarnfrom a feminist theoretical standpoint. Standpoint theory, as a general approach withinrnfeminism, emphasizes the importance of creating knowledge based upon women'srnexperiences and how women’s lived experiences can empower women by when analyzedrnin ways that validate an oppositional feminist consciousness.rnInterview responses indicated that most of the respondents felt that gender relationsrnamong TPLF soldiers during the war were almost equal noting that the idea of genderrnequity within the TPLF was a new phenomenon not only for TPLF members, but also thernpeople in the rural areas. The roles of TPLF women went beyond the domestic, privaternand traditional role of women and the adjustment to women and men to such new rolesrnwas an ongoing process. However, after the war, most respondents noted a dramaticrnshift in the way TPLF women were treated. As a result, most respondents currentlyrnbelieve that women ex-combatants are not treated fairly by the government. Respondentsrnwho currently face challenges note economic, psychological, social/interpersonal, andrnhealth-related factors as ongoing problems. Respondents who experience few problems had educational and occupational skills that were transferable to civilian life.rnRecommendations and justifications for preferential treatment for war veterans are listedrnthat might assist struggling women ex-combatants and that might ensure that the roles of TPLF women are not erased from history

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