AREAS WE WORK
Harmful traditional practices
To this day, traditions like Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriage continue across parts of Ethiopia, especially in remote and rural communities. These traditions endanger girls’ lives, violate their basic human rights and rob them of their health, education and future opportunities. Although both FGM and child marriage are illegal, they remain deeply ingrained.
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FAST FACTS
The challenge today
65% of girls and women aged 15 to 49 years across Ethiopia have experienced FGM
Of these, 68% were from rural areas
Meanwhile 2 in 5 girls in Ethiopia are married or in union before their 18th birthday
And 1 in 3 of these child brides are married to men who are at least 10 years older
OUR AIM
To teach about the dangers of Female Genital Mutilation and child marriage in Ethiopia and put an end to these traditions for good.
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The solution you can be part of
For such long-held and deeply ingrained traditions, change must come from the ground up – from local women and local communities. That’s why we’ve teamed up with on-the-ground project partners to end FGM and child marriage in Ethiopia woman by woman, family by family. Here’s how:
- Educating women, families and whole communities on the dangers of these traditions and their lack of religious significance, particularly for FGM
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- Training local women who have experienced and/or practiced FGM themselves as Extension Workers to provide personal advice, health support and counselling for others affected
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- Working with clan and religious leaders to defend the rights of women and form committees to stop their community from slipping back into dangerous traditions
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- Creating opportunities for youth to voice their own opinions through community events and by opening up discussion with local leaders
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See the solution in action
APDA Valerie Browning talks about dangers of Female Genital Mutilation in Ethiopia and child marriage in Ethiopia
Local women being trained as Extension Workers. Here they'll learn how to provide pre- and post-natal care for mothers, how to educate on the problems of early marriage, and how to stop female genital mutilations in rural communities.
Extension Worker Hasna (right) speaking with a new mother about how to protect her baby. FGM in Ethiopia is a generations-long tradition and many women feel pressured by their community to perform the practice on their child.
The Barbara May Hospital in Ethiopia's north-east Afar region. Before built by our project partners, there was no other hospital in Afar. Today it's a lifeline for the whole region.
APDA co-founder Valerie Browning running a workshop for Afari men about the rights of women especially in traditional marriage and the lack of religious significance for FGM. Many men believe this is “women’s business” and don’t openly speak about these topics.
Youth in Afar don’t often get a say in their beliefs or traditions, even when it puts them at risk of FGM or child marriage. APDA create opportunity for youth to speak out via community conferences and clan leader meetings.
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The impact you can have
“Before we learned all these things I used to cut my daughters and marry them early but now I stopped. I advise my community also to stop it.”
Ever since she was a child, Aisha believed female genital mutilation and early marriage were a necessary part of life.
Until, one day, an Extension Worker from our project partner (APDA) came to her village.
“Through trainings and awareness, we become more aware of harm these practices bring; why women get difficulties during delivery, bleedings, passing urine and other difficulties that ruin their lives. We all woke up to the fact how we all suffered.”
Aisha vowed to stop practicing these long-held traditions herself and to help her village stop them too.
This is how with education you can help put an end to FGM and child marriage in this generation and the next.
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Meet your project partners
Afar Pastoralist Development Association
Founded by Australian nurse Valerie Browning and Afar leaders in 1993, the Afar Pastoralist Development Association (APDA) was created to meet the unique needs faced by the isolated and nomadic people of Afar. Today, APDA fights to end female genital mutilation and child marriage, advocate for the rights of women, and build up mobile, adaptable health and education services.
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Make your impact
Donate today to help teach a community like Aisha's and stop female genital mutilation and child marriage in Ethiopia for good.
Ethiopiaid Australia believes in dignity, equality and justice for all people. We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we work in Australia, and pay our respects to their people, cultures and Elders past and present. Whether in Australia, Ethiopia or around the world, we affirm the importance of universal human rights and the inherent dignity of every person.
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