The heartbreaking case of seven-year-old Heaven Awot, who was brutally raped and murdered in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, has ignited a firestorm of national and international outrage. The conviction of her attacker, Getnet Baye, and the 25-year prison sentence handed down—viewed by many, including Heaven’s family, as too lenient—has sparked widespread calls for justice.
However, amidst this fervor, one glaring absence has been noted: the silence of Ethiopia’s women president, Sahle-Work Zewde, and other prominent figures in the country. At a time when their voices could have provided powerful moral support and spurred further action, they have remained noticeably quiet. This silence is particularly conspicuous as global celebrities, including Cardi B, have taken to social media to speak out about the case. In a powerful tweet, Cardi B urged her followers to sign a petition for Heaven’s justice, simply stating: “SIGN!” while sharing the petition link (see tweet below).
What makes this silence even more ironic is Ethiopia’s past reputation as a beacon of hope for gender equality. Just six years ago, the country was celebrated globally for appointing its first-ever woman president and for having a cabinet with 50% women—a progressive move that was hailed as a significant step towards gender parity in leadership. Yet, in this moment of crisis, when the leadership of these women could have been pivotal in addressing the outcry over Heaven’s case, there is an overwhelming void.
Sahle-Work’s silence, in particular, is drawing uncomfortable parallels to another Nobel Peace Prize laureate—Aung San Suu Kyi of Myanmar—whose silence during the Rohingya crisis drew widespread condemnation. Suu Kyi, once hailed as a symbol of peaceful resistance, failed to speak out against the atrocities committed against the Rohingya people, leading to accusations of complicity and betrayal of the very principles she once stood for. Similarly, Sahle-Work’s silence in the face of such a horrific crime against a young Ethiopian girl is being perceived as a betrayal of the hopes many had placed in her leadership to champion the rights of women and children.
The “Justice for Heaven” campaign has reached millions worldwide, primarily through TikTok, where social media influencers from across the globe, including Sudan, Palestine, and the U.S., have shown their solidarity. Notably, TikTok user HannaKeinax’s video on Heaven’s story has garnered over 500,000 views, bringing significant attention to the cause. Another TikTok user, shruie04, posted a poignant video with the hashtags “#rememberhername #justiceforheaven #Ethiopia #ethi,” urging viewers to “Scream their names until they hear us.” This video also touches on the challenges of accessing timely and accurate information about Heaven’s case in English, highlighting a critical gap in global awareness and the spread of the movement.
From Palestine, users have also shared Heaven’s story, aiming to raise even more awareness about the tragedy. These global TikTok efforts have contributed to making the Justice for Heaven campaign one of the most internationally recognized movements for an Ethiopian cause, a rare occurrence for issues involving violence against women and children in the country.
Adding another layer of disappointment is the silence from Ethiopia’s religious institutions. These very institutions were vocal and swift in their condemnation of the Rema concert, calling for its cancellation in the name of moral and cultural preservation. Yet now, when it comes to advocating for justice for a brutally murdered child, their voices are conspicuously absent. The contrast between their reactions to a concert and their inaction in the face of such a grave injustice speaks volumes about the selective morality that seems to guide their public interventions. This selective silence raises troubling questions about the priorities of these religious leaders and their commitment to protecting the most vulnerable in society.
The silence from Ethiopia’s highest office, held by a woman, and other influential leaders within the country, raises uncomfortable questions about the prioritization of gender-based violence in the national discourse. Their lack of public acknowledgment or support for the movement has disappointed many who see this as a critical moment for change. It also underscores the broader issue of how Ethiopian women’s voices, particularly those of the most vulnerable, are often marginalized or ignored.
Sahle-Work Zewde’s silence is particularly disheartening given her historic position and the symbolic power she holds as the country’s first female president. When she took office, there was a palpable sense of hope that she would be a staunch advocate for women’s rights and a vocal leader in addressing the issues that disproportionately affect women and girls in Ethiopia. However, her current reticence in the face of such a widely condemned crime has led to a growing sense of disillusionment among those who once viewed her as a champion of gender equality.
The Justice for Heaven campaign, while successful in mobilizing global support, has also revealed the shortcomings within Ethiopia’s leadership in addressing gender-based violence. As millions rally behind Heaven’s cause, the absence of key Ethiopian figures from this movement serves as a painful reminder of the gaps in the country’s commitment to protecting its women and children.
In the face of such tragedy, the global community has stepped in where national leadership has faltered, shining a light on the need for a more robust and active stance against the violence that continues to plague Ethiopia’s women and girls. The question now remains: Will this global outcry finally prompt the change that Heaven and so many others deserve, or will the silence from those in power continue to echo in the face of injustice?
As Ethiopians and the global community push for justice for Heaven, the absence of strong leadership at home is starkly evident. The parallels to other moments in history where leaders have failed to act when their voices were most needed serve as a sobering reminder of the cost of silence. For Ethiopia, a nation once seen as a beacon of hope for gender equality, this silence risks undermining the progress that has been made and the trust that has been placed in its leaders.
