Meet Tsehay; a Champion for SRHR Rights of Young Girls with Disabilities
15 February 2023
Tsehay was born and raised in a small town in the Oromia region of Ethiopia. She lost her sight when she was just three years old and was raised by a family who had taken her in through marriage after the passing of her mother. Tsehay received a great deal of love and support from her new family, especially the woman who raised her, and she is grateful for the care she received.
Tsehay was sent to a boarding school for blind students where she was doing well until a story of a blind student who had been raped and subjected to violence at a boarding school was broadcasted on national television. This led to Tsehay’s family taking her out of school for her own safety. With the help of NGOs, she was able to finish high school in another boarding school near her village. She went on to attend Kotebe Teachers College where she earned her first degree in Amharic language.
Social network and advocacy skills
Despite receiving a scholarship to continue her education with a Master’s degree, Tsehay was unable to do so due to financial difficulties and her need for personal assistance with reading, research, and printing documents. In 2020, she was recommended to join the Ethiopian Women with Disabilities National Association (EWDNA) where she received various trainings on social networking, sexual and reproductive health, and rights (SRHR), leadership, and lobbying and advocacy.
Tsehay’s active involvement with EWDNA led to her selection as a member of the human rights defenders committee to work with the Ethiopia Human Rights Commission, representing EWDNA. She was also selected to participate in the Make Way capacity strengthening training, representing young people with disabilities. Her communication skills, knowledge of SRHR, and advocacy skills greatly improved because of her involvement with EWDNA.
Hero and role model
Tsehay has become a hero and role model for young girls with disabilities, helping them access SRHR information and services. She provides SRHR information and accompanies her peers to health facilities for family planning services, where she fearlessly and confidently asks for information on the different methods and their side effects, and advises them on the best options available. She has been praised by healthcare workers for her commitment to supporting her peers and for her knowledge and confidence in seeking SRHR services. Tsehay is known among her peers as “Tsehay the hero” for standing up for the rights of young girls with disabilities to access appropriate SRHR information and services.
