Dawit MekonnenBethlehem Lemma2026-08-242026-08-242026-06https://etd.aau.edu.et/handle/123456789/8898This study investigates the psychological impact of marital rape under conditions of legal silence in Ethiopia, using an interpretative phenomenological case study conducted with the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA) in Addis Ababa. The study addresses the gap in Ethiopian legal and psychological research by examining how the absence of explicit legal silence of marital rape affects survivors’ psychological wellbeing, sense of justice, safety and help-seeking behavior. The investigation is anchored in the absence of legal recognition of marital rape under Article 620 of the Ethiopian Criminal Code (2004), which restricts survivors' access to justice and protection. The study aims to explore the psychological and social consequences of marital rape specifically examining trauma-related mental health outcomes, how Ethiopia’s legal silence fuels helplessness and emotional suffering, social impacts on relationships and quality of life, doctrinal gaps in legal and psychological protection, and how legal barriers shape survivors’ help-seeking behavior. Data were collected using semi-structured interviews for survivors and expert questionnaires for EWLA professionals. The data were then subjected to thematic analysis. Findings show the existence of severe and multi-faceted psychological harm to the survivors. The participants spoke of an ongoing fear, anxieties, depression and emotional turmoil together with a deep and extensive erosion of dignity, self-esteem and integrity. Elements consistent with the Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) include flashbacks and intrusions, chronic hyper vigilance and disturbance of sleep, with experiences of complete numbness, self-blame and damaging thoughts leading to despair in critical instances. Secondly, The findings also show that the legal silence exacerbates the psychological injuries by validating survivors' experiences, creating helplessness and reducing the remedies to divorce as opposed to justice. Thirdly, the factors that contributed significantly to survivors' isolation, silence and reduced quality of life are social stigma, community pressure and financial dependence. The study brings forth the existence of an actively injurious legal silence and the need for a greater emphasis on comprehensive support mechanisms, emphasizing the immediate need for a critical re-examination of the criminalization of marital rape within the legal system along with a coordinated approach through integrated legal and psychosocial systems. Keywords: Marital rape, legal silence, psychological trauma, IPA, gender-based violence, PTSD, women's rights, legal reform.enMarital rapelegal silencepsychological traumaIPAgender-based violencePTSDwomen's rightslegal reform.Thesis