WOMANKIND's work in East Africa began in urgent response to two major issues that directly and intimately affect the lives of millions of the region’s women.
Our work with partners in other parts of Africa highlighted the need for a specific programme to address the issues of Female Genital Mutilation and early, forced marriage or marriage by abduction, within the context of women’s human rights.
We currently work in partnership with two organisations in two countries: Ethiopia and Somalia. Our partners work at all levels – grassroots, national and international - to support women, enabling their voices to be heard and their needs and concerns addressed within their families, their communities and their countries. Together, we work to promote women’s human and civil rights, campaign to end discrimination and violence against women, and advocate for polices and legislation that support and protect women’s development, allowing access to education, health care and economic opportunities. Our focus is on:
- Raising awareness, campaigning and lobbying on FGM; early, forced marriage or marriage by abduction and other forms of violence against women
- Building women’s own capacity to become leaders and participate in decision-making at all levels, ensuring their needs and concerns are heard and addressed
- Supporting, training and developing local non-governmental and community based organisations to advocate for women’s rights at national level
- Promoting and strengthening women’s organisations and networks, enabling them to share information and lobby to end violence and discrimination against women
- Enabling women to become economically self-sufficient through credit and income-generating projects
In Ethiopia and Somalia, WOMANKIND"s partnership programme is helping to challenge and change attitudes and behaviours. At local level, individuals and communities are breaking the silence and taboos around the issues of Female Genital Mutilation and early, forced or marriage by abduction. Men are beginning to talk - and listen - to women and are acknowledging the importance of education for girls and young women.
Girls themselves have begun talking to their teachers and reporting family plans for their, or a friend’s, early marriage and circumcision. Increasingly, they are beginning to question their life circumstances: why don't they have equal educational opportunities?. Why do they have to undergo circumcision? Why are they poor and excluded from decision-making on the issues that most affect them and their families?
Growing awareness of women’s human rights and increasing confidence in calling for change, has resulted in more cases of violence and discrimination being reported across the region.
Work with youth communities across East Africa is also changing attitudes. Growing numbers of young people – male and female – are openly questioning the practice of FGM and acknowledging that it is socially acceptable for girls not to undergo circumcision in any form.
At the national level, our partners work to influence their governments to eradicate Harmful Traditional Practices and to develop and implement policies and laws that promote women’s human rights, and protect them against multiple forms of discrimination and violence. In Ethiopia, the House of People’s Representatives – following a long period of revision - adopted the amendments to the country’s Penal Code that relate to female circumcision. Ethiopia now uses fines and imprisonment to strengthen its policy of eradication of Harmful Traditional Practices: for those guilty of the circumcision of any female, of any age, the punishment is no less than three months' imprisonment or a fine of not less than 500Birr (approx £33); a maximum sentence of three years' imprisonment may also be imposed. For those guilty of the most severe form of FGM – infibulation – the punishment is five years' imprisonment. But implementation of this legislation is still limited and patchy.
Ethiopia’s laws on another Harmful Traditional Practice – marriage by abduction - have also been strengthened. The punishment for abduction is now 10 years' imprisonment; if rape follows an abduction the sentence increases by a further five years, to a maximum of 15.
Our partners work closely with health, education and social-work professionals and organisations, helping them develop programmes that acknowledge and respond to the real needs and concerns of girls and women in their countries. Whether the co-operation is with religious and community leaders or non-governmental and governmental organisations, the aim is to raise awareness of the issues and campaign, lobby and advocate for change.
The next steps
However, despite significant achievements our partners continue to work in difficult circumstances. A real lack of resources - both financial and physical - plus poor infrastructure within their own countries, combines with a reluctance to fully engage with the issues by key policy- and decision-makers. Female Genital Mutilation and early or forced marriage or marriage by abduction is still not seen as a high political priority for many of East Africa’s government agencies and policymakers. Much of our partners' work is focused on providing information and training to such policymakers, from local to national levels, to raise their awareness of the issues and secure their support in helping eradicate harmful practices that damage women’s lives.
By building on the solid work that has already begun and by working closely together, our partners can share skills and experience and develop strong networks to lobby at the local, national and international level.
