Quick info guide

Safety/security

Eritrea is a peaceful and secure country. Law enforcement officers and communities take care of the security of their surroundings.

Doing business

If you are Eritrean, to have license to do business requires completing national service, or should be exempted from national service. 

Safe travel times

The safest travel hours are from 05:00 am to 12:00 pm

Support systems

1. Police stations: Inform the police to find out the offender and punish the behavior 
2. Health facilities: Visit nearby health facilities to get emergency support. See the doctor in case of rape to get service on the prevention of unwanted pregnancy, HIV/AIDS and other sexual transmitted diseases to get the prophylaxes injection within 72 hours.
3. Legal institution: You can sue the offender in community court where the assault has been committed. In all the sub-zobas there are community courts. The legal institutions support the victims to get fair compensation when need arises. 
4. NUEW: The National Union of Eritrean Women (NUEW) has a mechanism of supporting victims of sexual harassment and GBV to get counselling support and legal advice.

Services provided by NUEYS

See list of available services

Social support services for Eritrean women

Harassment by law is prohibited and the National Union of Eritrean Women (NUEW) works to raise the level of awareness of women in this regard. The National Union of Eritrean Women (NUEW) has 163 branches, 481 sub-branches and 4343 basic groups. NUEW has offices in all six regions, 58 sub-regions and 2460 villages (out of the total 2862) inside the country as well as in the Diaspora. NUEW is a grassroots organization, that has above 329,000 members, and the membership registration is open to those that are 16years and above. It has horizontal relationship with all social service giving organizations and line ministries.

The moral norms and values of the society also discourage people from harassing others.

Gender Based Violence (GBV)

Underage marriage and Female Genital Mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) are gender-based violence usually practiced among different ethnic communities in Eritrea.
   
The Ministry of Health, Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare and NUEW in collaboration with other law enforcement officers as well as UN organizations closely work to fight against GBV. 

The legal aid that supports enforcement of abolishing FGM/C is proclamation 158/2007.

In addition, NUEW branches in all zobas have counseling services that supports the victims or survivors of GBV.

Reproductive health and other health services and facilities

In every 10-kilometer radius there are health facilities and 60% of the population get directly access to the health services.
- NUEW has a division at its headquarters that deals with reproductive and health rights-related issues. 
- NUEW provides awareness raising campaign to communities, students in the schools and colleges on reproductive health and other rights related issues. NUEW has 8 coordinators, 192 health facilitators, 152 voluntary workers actively engaged to facilitate health service provision.
- NUEW‘s responsibilities is in empowering the victim women and their children to improve their economic situation through income generating activities. There are four components in this regard: 
o Vocational skill to be employed 
o Financial support or in kind
o Microcredit access
o Capacity building on support management for prevention.
- Mobilization of communities to prevent transfer of the HIV/AIDs. 
- Delivery waiting Room
- Day care in some institutions 
- Volunteer Counseling Test (VCT)
- NUEW in collaboration with Ministry of Education organizes adult literacy programs 
- Most of the literacy classes are in the rural areas and 40% of the teachers are women. 
- Life skill program: Life skills education is part of the extracurricular programme in schools. It addresses issues of FGM, UAM, HIV/AIDS as well as menstruation to build the confidence of girl students and promotes dignified life and attendant rights.
- NUEW conducts School-based gender and health training in at least five schools of each region and about 13,275 students and 6,927 women from 3 regions have been trained.
- Behavioral Change Communication Strategies (BCC)
- Peer Education: One monitors ten households. It supervises, assists and demonstrates to the group and creates good discussion forums and sharing of experience.