Women & Child Health Support in Awash Ethiopia

Women Group Dialogue is used as a platform to enable women community members critically discuss on the cultural norms, values, traditions and individual behaviors affecting the health of women and children. Hence, to enhance the capacity of marginalized rural pastoral women, a group dialogue is being conducted among the Traditional Birth Attendants and those marginalized women having different background at all sub districts of Awash.

AISDA's community mobilizes are facilitating these dialogues following the steps in the methodological frameworks of Community Capacity Enhancement - Through Dialogue and Action. This has helped the discussion participant women to easily identify and explore problems and concerns related with MCH and HTPs with a special emphasis on FGM. It also helped them to make decisions and plan as to how the identified concerns to be solved by their own capacity and recourses. Similarly, consequences of FGM and relevant issues like early marriage, child health, pregnancy and ante natal cares, and issues related with HIV/AIDS and gender were some of the agendas discussed in their dialogues.