NEWA and UN Women Launch Cascading Training to Combat Violence Against Women in Politics
Adama, Ethiopia — October 10, 2025
The Network of Ethiopian Women’s Associations (NEWA), in collaboration with UN Women, has taken a significant step toward strengthening inclusive governance through targeted training on Violence Against Women in Politics and Elections (VAWiP/E).
As part of the UN Women-funded initiative “Empowerment and Representation: Advancing Political Inclusion for Women and Persons with Disabilities in Ethiopia,” NEWA conducted a foundational three-day training from September 1–3, designed to be cascaded nationwide. The first cascading session was held on October 9–10 at Robi Hotel in Adama, engaging 35 women politicians from the Addis Ababa Political Parties Joint Council Women’s Wing.
The training aimed to:
- Enhance awareness and institutional responsiveness to VAWiP/E
- Equip women politicians with tools to identify, prevent, and respond to violence
- Document hate speech and online abuse targeting women in political spaces
- Share evidence with Meta/Facebook to promote digital accountability
- Strengthen advocacy and protection mechanisms
- Foster peer learning and collective action
Key topics included:
- Gender equality and inclusive governance
- UN Women’s global VAWiP/E training framework
- Online violence and digital safety strategies
- Electoral Management Bodies’ roles across the electoral cycle
- Police and security sector responsibilities in prevention
- Political party policies, inclusive cultures, and cross-party collaboration
- Development of participant-led action plans
This initiative marks a critical effort to safeguard women’s political participation and promote a more equitable democratic process in Ethiopia
