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Contribution short abstract

Ethiopia experienced a devastating conflict in the Tigray region between 2020 and 2022, killing up to 600,000 people and displacing 1.6 million. This paper presents qualitative and quantitative longitudinal findings of the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) study in the Tigray region.

Contribution long abstract

Conflict and climate change in Ethiopia: longitudinal evidence on the gendered impacts of polycrisis on adolescents

Ethiopia experienced a devastating conflict in the Tigray region between 2020 and 2022, which killed up to 600,000 people and displaced 1.6 million. Alongside conflict-related crop and livestock destruction, climate change have exacerbated household poverty.

While the deleterious effects of such events on young people’s well-being are acknowledged, limited attention has been given to the interlocking, compounding, and gendered impacts of these multiple crises during the pivotal life-course stage of adolescence. Addressing this lacuna, our paper presents qualitative and quantitative longitudinal findings from research with 750 adolescents, 500 caregivers, and key stakeholders as part of the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) study in four conflict-affected communities across the Tigray region.

While most young people were accessing school services before 2020, the conflict led to protracted school closures and attrition. In the post conflict period, the trauma of war, destruction of school infrastructure, and limited resources for catch-up programming have resulted in low enrollment rates and limited confidence in the returns on education. Climate change has exacerbated household poverty, compelling many young people to pursue illegal migration to the Middle East. Gender inequalities are being exacerbated; child marriage has increased, FGM has re-emerged in some communities, and ongoing insecurity is compounding sexual violence risks.

Analysing young people’s experiences in Tigray through a polycrisis lens draws attention to the gendered impacts of structural shocks and the urgency of holistic, interconnected efforts to address these.