Gender Equality Ethiopia Project #30268

Say No To FGM to 5000 girls & Women in Ethiopia

by Nomadic Pastoral and Relief Foundation

Summary

Activities of Say No to FGM/C and related HTPs will be carried out in 3 districts of Somali Regional State, Ethiopia. The proposed program will cover Adadle, Kelafo and Berano districts of Shebelle zone in Ethiopian Somali Regional State. These are hard to reach areas both in terms of location and cultural context related to FGM/C. The Ethiopian Somali Region has one of the highest rates of FGM in Ethiopia, and in contrast to other regions of Ethiopia, the current rate is 97%.97.3%(EDHS, 2005)

$722
total raised

7
donors

0
monthly donors

8
years

Challenge

The Ethiopian Somali Region has one of the highest rates of FGM in Ethiopia, and in contrast to other regions of Ethiopia, the rate has hardly changed over the last couple of decades. Depending on which statistics one uses, the rate is 97.3% (EDHS, 2005) or 70.7% (EGLDAM, 2007). Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a violent practice, scarring girls for life - endangering their health, depriving them of their rights, and denying them the chance to reach their full potential.All Girls are at risk.

Solution

There is a need to organize and deliver program advocacy on saying no to FGM. The integrated approaches begin by establishing a baseline, followed by conducting awareness raising that triggers mindsets of opinion leaders, women/girls themselves, boys, men, circumcisers and the community at large. Youth males and religious leaders will be challenged due to multisectoral awareness raising and they will start questioning own attitudinal values towards FGM. Ex: Is FGM Qoranic? No. So why FGM?

Long-Term Impact

A strategy will be in place for on-the-ground activities in 30 village level to eliminate social pressures that influence not only the behavior of girls and young women but also that of parents, aimed at the long-term result of effecting a behavioral change in society. Women circumcisers who are advocates of circumcision will engage in other income generation activities. So, they will become advocates of Say No to FGM. Developing favorable attitude among women, young girls-Say No to FGM.