Combating FGM in Ethiopia
February 6th is the first International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Azenegash Amare has been working to prevent FGM in Ethiopia.
read more »Ethiopia
Women in Ethiopia
Despite achieving high economic growth in recent years, Ethiopia remains one of the poorest countries in Africa. More women die of child birth complications than anywhere in the world.
Women and girls bear the brunt of poverty and gender inequality, in a society that respects traditional values, even if they are discriminatory.
Some of the challenges women and girls face are:
- Harmful traditional practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM), child marriages and bride abduction
- Domestic violence
- More girls do not go to school than anywhere in Africa
- Government laws to protect women from violence and abuse are not fully implemented.
Womankind’s work in Ethiopia
Womankind started working in Ethiopia in 2000. We have built partnerships with a number of large and small women’s rights organisations working to improve women’s status.
Our early work supported projects to increase women’s participation in decision making, empower them economically and reduce violence.
In recent years, we have been focusing on eliminating harmful traditional practices, especially FGM and supporting communities to take action to protect women and girls from violence.
Find out more about the work we are doing in Ethiopia
Our achievements in Ethiopia
- Our partner, KMG reduced FGM prevalence from 97% to less than 4% in the Kembatta region. Their approaches are being scaled-up and replicated in 4 more districts.
- We have established appropriate ways of working with communities, ensuring that women, men, boys and girls are involved in identifying and implementing local solutions to violence against women.
- Since 2007, over 8,000 girls were directly supported to remain in school, safe from harmful traditional practices. Parents appreciate the importance of sending their daughters to school.
Women’s voices
16 Stories: Kebebush, Ethiopia
"I have plans for the future, I am going to be a women's leader in my village where I can educate women on their rights and promote respect for women’s rights in the community.”
read more »
16 Stories: Woineshet, Ethiopia
“I realised that I had to speak about HIV and AIDS to other women in my village. It’s not an easy subject to discuss but many women are dying in ignorance."
read more »
16 Stories: Biritu, Ethiopia
"There are loads of women who don’t know where to go when domestic violence happens to them. Let them know their rights, let them know that there is another chance for women.”
read more »
Join us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter
