(c)NBertrams_GAGE4234 _cover
A 14-year-old girl who spends her days doing household chores, Somali, Ethiopia © Nathalie Bertrams/GAGE 2024

FGM and child marriage in Ethiopia’s Afar and Somali regions Patterns, risks and priority entry points for change

Home PagePublicationsKnowledge productsPolicy briefsFGM and child marriage in Ethiopia’s Afar and Somali regions Patterns, risks and priority entry points for change

publication

FGM and child marriage in Ethiopia’s Afar and Somali regions Patterns, risks and priority entry points for change

29.06.2025 | Ethiopia

Country

Ethiopia

Capability domains

Bodily integrity and freedom from violence

Audience type

Programme designer or implementer

Data collection round

Midline

Year of publication

2025

Study methodology

Mixed-methods, Longitudinal

Download policy brief

Authors

Kefyalew Endale, Elizabeth Presler-Marshall, Workneh Yadete, Yitagesu Gebeyehu, Abdilahi Abdisalam, Kassahun Tilahun, Tassew Woldehanna, Kiya Gezahegne

The Ethiopian government is committed to ending female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage. The country has a strong legal framework, which outlawed both practices two decades ago, as well as multiple policies and strategies designed to eliminate these harmful practices (28toomany and Orchid Project, 2023). Despite these commitments, and the sustained efforts of the government and its development partners, progress remains highly uneven and too slow to meet targets. Although prevalence rates of both FGM and child marriage are falling at the national level, the absolute number of girls at risk continues to rise, due to population growth (ibid.; UNICEF, 2023). Girls in the pastoralist regions of Afar and Somali are at especially high risk.

Suggested citation

Endale, K., Presler-Marshall, E., Yadete, W., Jones, N., Gebeyehu, Y., Abdiselam, A., Tilahun, K., Woldehanna, T. and Gezahegne, K. (2025) ‘FGM and child marriage in Ethiopia’s Afar and Somali regions: patterns, risks, and priority entry points for change.’ Policy brief. London: Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (https://gage.odi.org/fgm-and-child-marriage-in-ethiopia-s-afar-and-somali-regions-patterns-risks-and-priority-entry-points-for-change/)