The Ethiopia Network of Women Shelters (ENWS) is a non-governmental, non-partisan network of women-led organizations working together to eliminate gender-based violence (GBV) and promote the rights, dignity, and empowerment of women and girls in Ethiopia.

Established in 2016 and formally registered in 2020, ENWS brings together 7 founding member organizations, 12 community-based organizations (CBOs), and 7 survivor-led organizations, which include officially registered shelters and community-based groups. Our members support women and girl survivors of violence with critical, life-saving services, including shelter, medical care, counseling, legal aid, and economic reintegration.

We operate through a women- and girls-centered empowerment approach that places survivors at the heart of everything we do. This approach ensures that women and girls are not only protected and supported in times of crisis but are also equipped with the resources, agency, and opportunities to lead safe, independent, and empowered lives.

Through our member organizations, we ensure survivors have access to specialized, trauma-informed health professionals who provide sensitive, survivor-centered care—recognizing the complex psychological and physical impacts of violence and responding with compassion, confidentiality, and professionalism.

ENWS also works to change the systems, norms, and structures that allow violence to continue. We engage with government, civil society, the private sector, and communities including men and boys to drive meaningful policy reform, shift harmful attitudes, and build a more just and inclusive society.