*Content Warning* This post contains discussion of domestic violence, physical abuse, and suicidal ideation. Please read with care.  

Providing life-saving medical care goes beyond helping people escape the threat of disease or injury—sometimes, it means helping people escape the threat of a person, rather than a pathogen.  

Domestic Violence Awareness Month (DVAM) is a national campaign dedicated to raising awareness about domestic violence annually during the month of October. The Domestic Violence Awareness Project defines domestic violence as: a pattern of abusive behaviors–including physical, sexual, and psychological attacks as well as economic coercion–used by one intimate partner against another (adult or adolescent) to gain, maintain, or regain power and control in the relationship. 

Globally, nearly 1 in 3 women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence. This translates to an estimated 736 million women worldwide. 

 

Portrait of Ethiopian women sitting outside of clinic's maternal ward.
Portrait of Ethiopian women sitting outside of clinic’s maternal ward.

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, we want to share the story of one strong, courageous mother that came to Medical Teams seeking life-saving help. It was January 2025, and 25-year-old mother Selam (her name has been changed to protect her identity) had reached her breaking point. She was trapped in an abusive marriage with her second husband, and her 5-year-old daughter lived in daily fear of her mother being beaten. Selam was sinking deeper and deeper into depression and was contemplating taking her own life.  

But there was one more person whose life was being put in danger daily—Selam was pregnant. 

Divorced and Vulnerable 

Selam was born and raised in the Amhara region in Ethiopia. She married her first husband young, and had a daughter, Mitu. But her marriage soon dissolved into disagreement and conflict, so she and her first husband divorced.  

Faced with the challenging decision of how to provide for her daughter as a single mother, Selam took Mitu to be raised by her grandparents while she moved to another city to work as a housemaid. It was during this time that Selam met and married her second husband.  

She thought that she would finally have a loving partner and a stable family unit for Mitu. They both moved to the town where her second husband lived and started a new chapter as a family of three.  

Little did she know that things would soon take a dangerous turn.  

Trapped in a Cycle of Violence 

Soon after Selam and Mitu moved in with her new husband, he began abusing her. Selam did her best to cope, and protect Mitu from witnessing the violence, but things soon got more complicated—Selam found out that she was expecting a baby.  

She thought that her pregnancy might deter her husband’s abuse, but he continued to beat her relentlessly. Seven months into her pregnancy,  he attacked her so brutally she feared her unborn baby might not survive. She was experiencing severe abdominal pain and an onslaught of overwhelming emotions—anger, hopelessness, guilt, even thoughts of taking her own life–at least her death would be on her own terms then, she thought in her despair.  

According to a 2023 study, Intimate Partner Violence (the most common form of domestic violence) is especially pervasive in humanitarian settings due to factors like conflict exposure, substance use, lack of secure housing, low economic status, adverse mental health, and limited social support. Other factors, like the collapse of local law enforcement and forced displacement, mean that perpetrators often face no accountability for their actions, and victims have no options for reporting violence and seeking legal protection. 

Thankfully, Selam went to the local Medical Teams clinic for a prenatal checkup to make sure that her baby had not been injured in the attack. She went expecting a simple medical exam, but she got so much more. At the Medical Teams clinic, she got the tools she needed to safely escape from domestic violence.

A clinic room in Ethiopia similar to where Selam would have met with our medical staff and Protection Officer.
A clinic room in Ethiopia similar to where Selam would have met with our medical staff and Protection Officer.

More than Medical Care 

At the clinic, Selam received a full physical assessment and, to her immense relief, her unborn baby was unharmed. They also provided her with an array of supplements to support her physical health during her pregnancy, as well as health education on signs of danger in the pregnancy as well as signs of labor beginning. Selam was grateful for the medical care, but she bravely confided in the clinic staff about what had been going on at home.  

“When I met the protection officer, I explained my fears not only about my pregnancy but also about my husband’s abusive behavior and the safety of my second daughter. Medical Teams International immediately took action,” she recalled. 

Medical Teams staff mobilized a variety of critical resources to help her and Mitu escape the abuse.  

Legal Support:

Selam was referred to a Medical Teams Protection Officer who took her to the local police station to file a report. While there, she met with the Women and Children’s Affairs representative, police, community elders, and her husband’s family. After discussions and legal procedures, it was decided that she and her children would be allowed to remain in their family home and her husband would be required to vacate.

He was required to provide monthly financial support, and any visits with the children would take place outside the home. Furthermore, he was legally restricted from approaching her and an Order of Protection was put in place. The divorce was eventually finalized, ensuring her safety and offering her and her children a more stable future. 

Psychological Support:

Even after the initial threat to her life had passed, Selam was left to battle deep emotional and psychological scars. She struggled with depression and rage, so Medical Teams set her up with ongoing Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) services to help cope with the abuse she suffered and find tools she could use to improve her day-to-day mental health.

With the help of counseling and Psychological First Aid, she was able to face the upcoming birth of her baby with renewed hope and confidence. She was not facing this alone anymore.  

Financial Support:

Selam was provided with financial support for transportation, food, and medical care, ensuring she could attend medical check-ups without stress. This allowed her to continue her prenatal care and her counseling sessions to ensure that she would have the best possible health outcome for her and her baby. 

A New Life, and A New Beginning 

Two months later, Selam gave birth to a beautiful, healthy baby at the same health center that had intervened to save her life. Surrounded by people that she had come to trust deeply, she became a mother of 2 and joyfully welcomed her new baby into a world of safety, security, and love.

A young woman (not Selam) in labor awaits the birth of her child with the assistance of her own mother and Medical Teams staff in an Ethiopian clinic.
A young woman (not Selam) in labor awaits the birth of her child with the assistance of her own mother and Medical Teams staff in an Ethiopian clinic.

“Without this support, I would still be trapped in violence and struggling to provide for my children,” Selam shared. “I might not have been able to receive medical care, putting my life and my unborn baby at risk.”

Grateful for the opportunity to raise her children in safety and peace, Selam is now focused on the future. She wants her girls to go to school, have opportunities, and just enjoy being children. She wants to create a home where no one ever has to fear violence again.  

Selam’s story demonstrates how even a small action, like making a monthly gift to Medical Teams through the Pulse, can have a truly life-saving impact: 

“Being a single mother is incredibly difficult, but kindness and support can change lives. Every small act of help makes a difference,” she testifies.  

Now, this mother can move forward, building the life she envisions for her children and knowing that she has all of the support she needs, right in her own community.

Thanks to the generous support of our community, resources were there for Selam when she needed them most. Medical supplies to test her blood and ultrasounds to check her baby’s safety. Mental health support staff to help her begin to heal from emotional trauma. Legal support to help advocate for her and connect her with law enforcement.  

You can help save lives like Selam’s by joining The Pulse with a monthly gift or making a one-time donation to support our life-saving medical care around the world.  

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or abuse, call the national hotline at 1.800.799.SAFE (7233), text “START” to 88788, or visit hotline.org.