mono85-069f8739e91c9aa9.pdf

The report examines a small sample of eleven women who joined the TPLF as children and later transitioned to civilian life. It finds that while these women gained significant empowerment, education, and a belief in gender equality during their military service, they faced 'culture shock' upon reintegration into a traditional Ethiopian society. The study highlights a disconnect between the egalitarian values of the TPLF and the patriarchal norms of civilian life, leading to challenges in domestic roles and economic stability. It argues that for women recruited as children, demobilisation is not merely a return to society but a new socialisation process, challenging the 'victim' narrative often associated with child soldiers.

• Female participants in the study were recruited as minors, with an average recruitment age of 12.68 years and an average length of service of 11.6 years.
• Recruitment into the TPLF was largely voluntary, often driven by peer influence, family members already in the force, or a desire to escape early marriage.
• Within the TPLF, women experienced a high degree of gender equality, sharing combat and non-combat duties equally with men and operating in a co-operative environment with strict discipline against sexual violence.
• Female ex-combatants experienced 'culture shock' during reintegration because the egalitarian values and assertive identities they developed in the military conflicted with traditional Ethiopian feminine norms.
• Reintegrated women struggled with domestic civilian life, specifically the individual responsibility of managing a household and the sudden loss of equality with men in the home.
• Despite receiving government jobs and education up to Grade 12, many female ex-combatants felt economically precarious and stuck in low-paid, unskilled positions such as janitors or guards.
• The experience of being a fighter fundamentally altered the women's self-construction, leading to increased self-confidence, a belief in gender equality, and a rejection of submissive cultural roles.
• The TPLF's influence on gender equality extended into legal reforms in Tigray, such as raising the marriage age and granting equal land and property rights, which later influenced the 2000 Revised Family Code in Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa.

APA

Veale, A. (n.d.). mono85-069f8739e91c9aa9.pdf. Institute for Security Studies. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono85.pdf

Chicago

Veale, Angela. mono85-069f8739e91c9aa9.pdf. Institute for Security Studies, n.d. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono85.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Veale |first1=Angela |title=mono85-069f8739e91c9aa9.pdf |publisher=Institute for Security Studies |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono85.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vealendmono85069f8739e91c9aa9pdf, author = {Veale, Angela}, title = {{mono85-069f8739e91c9aa9.pdf}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/Mono85.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }