In Southern Ethiopia girls/women undergo a harmful traditional practice of female gentile mutilation (FGM), which constitutes an extreme form of discrimination against women.
FGM is widely practiced in rural parts of Southern Ethiopia and creating physical, mental, psychological and social problem on girls/women. This harmful traditional practice damages healthy female genital tissue and bring forth complications including severe pain, shock, bleeding, bacterial infection and sometimes fatal during birth. The causes of FGM in Southern Regional State include a mix of cultural, religious and social factors within families and communities.
To accelerate the process of eliminating the FGM practices and realize the objectives of gender equality, the project will empower women through economic support in order to make them the leading agents of change, combatant of FGM and active participants of the decision making process. Furthermore, social institutions, religious sectors, circumcisers and law enforcers will be capacitated through awareness raising training, advisory services and other necessary supports.
In a long run, the attitude and behaviour of parents, community, circumcisers and their supporters will be changed and firm legal actions will be taken against perpetuators. This will enable girls/women to enjoy safer sex life and be in position of safer motherhood.
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).
