Icare PowerPeriod Campaign reposted this
Almost a year ago, a friend sent me a screenshot from a Telegram channel that shared nude images of Ethiopian women for paying subscribers. It was a deeply disturbing revelation that I couldn’t ignore. I knew I had to write an investigative story to uncover the underground networks fueling the exploitation of young Ethiopian women. I joined a few of them and spent a couple of months observing the type of content shared, the motives behind it, and the payment methods enabling this sick trade. Finding a victim willing to share her story proved to be another lengthy and challenging process. Then, I encountered a women’s rights activist fighting against revenge porn in Ethiopia. Her trust in me became a turning point—she connected me with a survivor who was open to sharing her experience with the public. My conversation with this survivor was profoundly heartbreaking, offering a stark glimpse into the devastating impact of revenge porn in Ethiopia. "After my images were leaked, I attempted suicide six times," she told me. Despite her immense trauma, she continues to fight for her mental health, advocate for change, and refuse to let the predators define her future. I chose to use the pseudonym Hewan Tewelde to tell her story. The name "Hewan" symbolizes women, while "Tewelde" reflects her determination to reclaim her happiness and agency. Hers is just one among thousands of similar stories of Ethiopian women caught in these exploitative networks. This investigative piece dives into the alarming rise of revenge porn in Ethiopia, where intimate images are shared without consent and monetized through organized schemes. What began as isolated cases has evolved into a sinister industry, with social media platforms and online payment systems facilitating the exploitation. If left unchecked, this growing menace threatens to destroy the lives of countless women across the country. I am deeply grateful to the women who trusted me to tell their stories, despite being in a sea of abuse. My thanks also go to the creative team at Shega whose visual contributions were integral to amplifying the gravity of this issue. In addition, I am very committed to supporting Hewan. If you have any suggestions, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Establishing a mechanism for her to access a mental health professional would be especially impactful. Warning: This story contains details that some readers may find disturbing. https://lnkd.in/dvUhMQdf
Sharing this for educational knowledge, along with the language, and to set an example to teach women to love themselves: In Turkmenistan many scums who can’t get the women:girls, married, unmarried, etc, start spreading rumors that they slept with them and many others. This is something that the Islamic communities have created in all of our countries. When it was done to me, I revealed the ba$$trds and turned them on their f-n mothers that raised them that way. Specifically said that “it must be your mother who spread nude pictures to men, that you now mistake other women for being like your Mama!” Little they knew, that I didn’t give a fk for their shaming stories, but uncovered their manipulations so bad, that other women also joined my fight. Then men came and stood by me too. Women, take all your power back and succeed instead. Become a winner, because You are!
Thank you for the investigative report and source protection🙏 Same cases are happening to highschool and Campus or college girls. I experienced same case where a sister of my friend was in such problem while attending her TVET class. Thanks to her friends that we detected it and fixed cases early. I think the digital privacy and literacy of our sisters should be supported by legal frameworks and initiatives.
Thank you for writing this. Your article is truly important... the wider world itself is struggling with defining and prosecuting digital sex crimes; Ethiopia is by comparison an unnavigated backwater in such matters. The very act of even acknowledging that these things happen and that they are actually a problem is almost radical. Few little people care and those that do are seldom taken seriously. And with how powerful AI is becoming, there is undoubtedly going to be a huge surge in pornographic deep fakes that will certainly ruin many more women's lives. Today, women are shamed for sharing their intimate photos with their partners; tomorrow we will be ostracized for daring to show our very faces online. The anger, fear, and disgust I feel about this horrific trend makes me think that humanity has regressed but the despair I sometimes succumb to makes me believe we never progressed in the first place...
It is said by near-death experiencers that in the life review process after death, the soul intimately experiences all the good and bad that it has inflicted on others through its human personality. May your soul experience all the healing and relief you have brought to these women, even as the souls of the perpetrators of these atrocities experience the hell that they have forged. But may they yet escape karma, returning as similarly abused women!
Well done Kaleab Girma. I have read your investigation on Shega. We need to do something regarding this issue.
Brave, important work for the fearful threats of our times. May your circle of sisterhood draw on the strength that we find in one another. I have nothing but this simple wish to offer.
Nahom Abera another data for confirming Telegram's use in ET.
Setaweet Movement please share on our platforms.
Thank you!! The voiceless spoke a little today!
Lecturer | Content Writer | Blogger | Social Researcher | Mother | Human Rights Activist | Digital Marketer for Dasesa ዳሰሳ
1moSaddening! But what did you mean by "without consent"? Where would they get a naked photo unless there was some sort of will based arrangement in the first place (e.g., see how Instagram has become a platform promoting the trade of naked photos—I assume there is some form of self-will in that). If the problem is to be solved, it is mandatory to reveal the true phases of the process as they are.