Regional Programme for the Prevention of Female Genital Mutilation — Horn of Africa

The Regional Programme "Improving the Prevention of Female Genital Mutilation" aims to support national, regional and local actors who work on the prevention of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and other forms of Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in the Horn of Africa. The projects target groups are girls and women at risk of FGM and GBV in selected regions of Ethiopia, Somalia and Sudan, where FGM is particularly prevalent. These include Afar and the Somali region in Ethiopia, as well as Somaliland, Puntland, Jubaland (Kismayo) and Banadir (Mogadishu) in Somalia.

The programme works around 3 Outputs: 1. Strengthening of institutional capacities among state or non-state actors; 2. Increased cooperation between state or non-state actors; 3. Empowerment of community members to question their own attitudes to FGM and gender-based violence.

By supporting employees of governmental and non-governmental institutions in skills improvement, joint learning and networking with other actors they can develop strategies and approaches that promote social change. At the same time, the programme advises the responsible national ministries on how to systematically and effectively change social norms and thus better prevent FGM. The programme develops information and educational campaigns and also strives to anchor FGM in the political agenda in the long term.

To this end, it promotes national coordination mechanisms such as the Task Forces and National Alliances against FGM. Working closely with community-based organizations is also a priority as they contribute to the dismantling of male-dominated structures in which FGM is rooted through local awareness-raising measures.