Agents of change, gatekeepers and messaging: Progress and stasis in efforts to eliminate harmful practices in Ethiopia’s Afar and Somali regions
publication
Agents of change, gatekeepers and messaging: Progress and stasis in efforts to eliminate harmful practices in Ethiopia’s Afar and Somali regions
08.12.2025 | Ethiopia
Country
Ethiopia
Capability domains
Bodily integrity and freedom from violence
Audience type
Policy maker or donor, Programme designer or implementer, Researcher
Year of publication
2025
Study methodology
Participatory research
Authors
Nicola Jones, Workneh Yadete, Joost Vintges, Yitagesu Gebreyehu, Abdilahi Abdisalam, Gayatri Nautiyal, Abreham Alemu, Kiya Gezahegne, Kassahun Tilahun, Fitsum Workneh
There is increasing international recognition that both child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) not only constitute key human rights violations but also come at significant costs to economic and social development. The World Bank and the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW) (2017) estimated that the welfare benefits accruing from lower population growth when ending child marriage would be as high as US$566 billion by 2030, with additional benefits in terms of spillover effects on under-five mortality, malnutrition and education. In the case of FGM, the World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that treatment of related health complications costs health systems an estimated US$1.4 billion annually (WHO, 2025).
Suggested citation
Jones, N., Yadete, W., Vintes, J., Gebreyehu, Y., Abdisalam, A., Nautiyal, G., … and Workneh, F. (2025) Agents of change, gatekeepers and messaging: progress and stasis in efforts to eliminate harmful practices in Ethiopia’s Afar and Somali regions. Report. London: Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (gage.odi.org/agents-of-change-gatekeepers-and-messaging-progress-and-stasis-in-efforts-to-eliminate-harmful-practices-in-ethiopia-s-afar-and-somali-regions/)
