March 5, 2021
Photo: Martha Tadesse/IRC
For International Women’s Day, the March 8 global event celebrating the achievements of women worldwide, the International Rescue Committee asked teenage girls living in Helowyn refugee camp in Ethiopia to describe themselves in one word, and to tell us what it means to them “to be a girl.”
Ethiopia hosts more than 850,000 refugees the second largest cohort in any African nation about 40,000 of them in Helowyn camp, located in the southern part of the country. The larger region, often referred to as the Horn of Africa, has suffered years from conflict and drought. Conditions in the camp are basic, with most refugees living in temporary accommodations. It’s especially tough to be a girl in the camp, as they face an increased risk of gender-based violence.