The Ministry of Justice has signaled the rollout of Ethiopia’s transitional justice policy—one year after its adoption—outlining plans to establish key institutions and strengthen women’s representation in the process.
The update was shared during a project closing and learning workshop organized by Timran, a CSO engaged in political empowerment, in Addis Ababa on April 14, 2026. The event marked the conclusion of a six-month initiative aimed at enhancing women’s participation in transitional justice under the theme “Women Lead Peace and Justice.”
Speaking at the workshop, National Human Rights Monitoring Directorate Director Awol Sultan said the government is moving toward implementation, with the legal framework currently under development. He noted that lessons from both domestic initiatives and international experience-sharing programs will be incorporated.
Awol said the framework will include a truth-seeking commission, a special prosecutor, institutional reform mechanisms, and an independent jury system. He added that provisions will be introduced to ensure women’s leadership and participation through quota arrangements.
According to him, implementation will begin once the Ethiopian National Dialogue Commission completes its agenda-setting phase. He also stressed the importance of strengthening civil society organizations and ensuring their active engagement throughout the process.
The workshop also highlighted outcomes from Timran’s six-month project, which was financially supported by the UN Women Peace and Humanitarian Fund and technically backed by the Netherlands Institute for Multi-Party Democracy.
Presenting the results, Program Manager Kidist Getachew said the initiative aimed to equip a diverse group of women, including parliamentarians, human rights advocates, civil society representatives, political party members, women in leadership, and conflict survivors, with the knowledge needed to engage in transitional justice processes.
She said the project was implemented between October 2025 and March 2026 across Addis Ababa and seven regional states: Amhara, Oromia, Afar, Tigray, Benishangul-Gumuz, Central Ethiopia, and Somali.
A total of 91 women received training on transitional justice, with reported improvements in their understanding following the sessions.
Kidist cited varying levels of prior knowledge among participants, limited training time, and the sensitivity of the subject, particularly among survivors, as key challenges encountered during implementation.
Timran also shared lessons from an experience-sharing visit to Liberia. Founder Bilen Asrat said a 10-member delegation, comprising representatives from government institutions, survivors, and civil society, participated in the three-day program.
The delegation held discussions with 13 institutions involved in Liberia’s transitional justice process, including government bodies, international organizations, civil society groups, and survivor associations. Bilen noted that Liberia was selected as a case study due to its efforts to promote women’s participation in transitional justice.
She also pointed out that Liberia’s process experienced delays between 2009 and 2023, partly due to political challenges, including the involvement of senior leadership figures in past abuses and the absence of full accountability measures.
The workshop underscored a shift toward implementation of Ethiopia’s transitional justice policy, with a growing emphasis on institutional setup, lessons from international experiences, and inclusive participation, particularly of women.
