EGLDAM works with local people, community leaders, and government officials/agencies to protect women and children by bringing an end to harmful traditional practices, such as female genital mutilation, milk-tooth extraction, and early marriage. We carry out this important human rights works through on-the-ground education, community forums, advertising, and legislative lobbying. To date, our work has yielded greater awareness of this issue throughout Ethiopia, as well as several national laws.
Women and children throughout Ethiopia are the victims of harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation and early marriage. These issues are pervasive throughout Ethiopian society, most notably in the rural areas. Through education and empowerment we can bring an end to these practices, and stop the intense emotional, physical, and mental strain that women and children are forced to experience.
Through education, advertising campaigns, and legislative lobbying we can work to bring harmful traditional practices to an end. Knowledge is power, so if we can each enough women, community leaders, and government officials and explain that these practices are a violation of human rights, we will be able to save many lives.
We have already seen positive results from our work. Several anti-harmful traditional practice laws have been enacted because of our lobbying, and we have seen a shift in the thinking of young people with regard to harmful traditional practices (as demonstrated through statistics gathered in our nation-wide survey).
