Gender Mainstreaming in Mine Action: The Ethiopian Case

The report examines gender mainstreaming in Ethiopia's mine action sector, highlighting the role of historical gender equality movements (such as the TPLF) and the necessity of adapting strategies to diverse regional norms. While women are heavily involved in mine risk education (MRE) and victim assistance, they are entirely absent from technical demining roles. The paper emphasizes that pre-existing women's organizations and a decentralized sector structure both shape the effectiveness of gender-sensitive interventions.

• Ethiopia's landmine contamination is concentrated in three northern and eastern regions—Tigray, Somali, and Afar—which account for more than 80% of the country's landmine impact.
• Gender norms vary significantly by region, requiring mine action actors to use different strategies; for example, in the Muslim and nomadic Afar and Somali regions, women cannot be visited alone at home or attend meetings without male permission, unlike in the Tigray region.
• A historical focus on gender equality, particularly during the TPLF's struggle against the Derg regime, provided a foundation for mine action actors to engage women. This is exemplified by the Women’s Association of Tigray (WAT), which has approximately 500,000 members.
• There are currently no female deminers in Ethiopia; women in demining teams only serve as domestic workers for cooking and cleaning. This persists despite the historical precedent of women in combat roles during the TPLF struggle.
• Gender-sensitive strategies in mine risk education (MRE) include the use of 'listening groups' where women gather to hear radio messages and then convey them to their families, and the employment of female MRE teachers.
• Landmine injury data shows a gendered disparity: while 80% of victims are young males (15-29), women have a slightly higher fatality rate (47% for females versus 42% for males). Additionally, women have lower access to emergency care (18%) compared to men (30%).
• The Ethiopian mine action sector is characterized by strong national ownership via the Ethiopian Mine Action Office (EMAO), but it lacks a single overarching authority, which may complicate the consistent implementation of a unified gender strategy.

APA

Dupuy, K. (2008). Gender Mainstreaming in Mine Action: The Ethiopian Case. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/23d917d1-d7a9-411e-90b2-4c0e6819d326/Gender Mainstreaming in Mine Action - The Ethiopean Case PRIO Paper 2008.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Dupuy, Kendra. Gender Mainstreaming in Mine Action: The Ethiopian Case. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2008. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/23d917d1-d7a9-411e-90b2-4c0e6819d326/Gender Mainstreaming in Mine Action - The Ethiopean Case PRIO Paper 2008.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Dupuy |first1=Kendra |title=Gender Mainstreaming in Mine Action: The Ethiopian Case |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=November 2008 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/23d917d1-d7a9-411e-90b2-4c0e6819d326/Gender Mainstreaming in Mine Action - The Ethiopean Case PRIO Paper 2008.pdf?inline=true |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{dupuy2008gender, author = {Dupuy, Kendra}, title = {{Gender Mainstreaming in Mine Action: The Ethiopian Case}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2008}, month = nov, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/23d917d1-d7a9-411e-90b2-4c0e6819d326/Gender Mainstreaming in Mine Action - The Ethiopean Case PRIO Paper 2008.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }