ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: To explore the patterning, practices, and drivers of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Ethiopia's Afar region. METHODS: This article draws on mixed-methods research conducted in 2022 in 18 rural communities in three districts of Ethiopia's Afar region. Survey data were collected from 1,022 adolescents and their caregivers. Qualitative interviews were conducted with approximately 270 adults and adolescents. RESULTS: The survey found that FGM remains practically universal (97% of sampled adolescent girls), and infibulation remains the norm (87% of girls). Most adolescent girls and caregivers reported that FGM is required by religion and should continue. When queried about the main reason for FGM, however, most cited culture rather than religion. Female caregivers and adolescent girls were more likely to report that FGM has benefits than risks; the reverse was true for male caregivers. Qualitative evidence suggests that even girls who are not reported as infibulated generally, and that the social benefits of FGM--especially regarding controlling girls' sexuality and facilitating their marriageability--are perceived to outweigh health risks. Where there are shifts in type of FGM, it is largely due to efforts of religious leaders who preach against infibulation and for "milder" types--and the growing scope of fathers to input into mothers' FGM decision-making and advocate for less invasive types. DISCUSSION: Eliminating FGM requires focusing on contexts where the practice is most invasive and progress is not yet visible. Given complex intrahousehold and intragenerational dynamics, this will necessitate engaging whole communities with sustained multipronged approaches to shift social norms.
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Many Ethiopian adolescents experience different forms of violence and abuse at home, at school, and in their communities. There are very limited referral, case management, and justice services, especially outside of urban areas, so young people draw largely on protective and promotive interpersonal resources. This article explores the extent to which available support systems promote processes of resilience among young people at risk of age- and gender-based violence and abuse. METHODS: The article draws on data from Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE), a longitudinal research study. Qualitative data were collected in 2017-2018 and 2019-2020 through individual interviews and focus group discussions with 595 adolescents and their families, and 77 service provider, community and governmental key informants. RESULTS: In the absence of effective and at-scale formal protection services, young people who experience age- and gender-based violence draw on support from family members and diverse peer networks. These range from informal friendship groups to organized groups, school-based girls' clubs, and recently formed youth movements linked to the current political transformation in the country. However, given the complex economic, political and social drivers of age- and gender-based violence and abuse, we find that social systems drawn upon by adolescents are often misaligned with formal services and have limited capacity to enable their resilience. CONCLUSIONS: The findings underline the need to invest in multi-systemic effective, low-cost and accessible social protection, justice, and referral services to address the multiple factors that drive intersecting forms of violence and support young people in preventing and overcoming the effects of abuse.
