Brief

Fast-tracking progress towards eliminating FGM/C and child marriage in pastoralist Ethiopia

Abstract

Child marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) have far-reaching consequences throughout the life course and across generations. As such, tackling these harmful practices has increasingly become a development priority, but Ethiopia remains one of the top five countries globally in terms of absolute numbers of girls who married as children and is home to an estimated 25 million girls and women who have experienced FGM/C – the largest absolute number of any country in eastern and southern Africa. This brief provides evidence on the current levels and drivers of FGM/C and child marriage in pastoral communities as well as an evaluation of a multicomponent programme implemented by Save the Children and aimed at eliminating FGM/C and child marriage. This is an output of the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) programme