FGM 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
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/)
