Ethiopia launched National Roadmap on Child Marriage and FGM/C costed USD 94 million to embody Ethiopia’s effort to achieve the SDG to eliminate all harmful practices.
Child marriage and FGM are the most prevalent forms of harmful traditional practices in Ethiopia and constitute the worst forms of human rights violations against women and girls with adverse impact on their health, family and social life and economic participation.
The roadmap has been launched with the presence of the president of Ethiopia, Minister of Ministry of Women, Children, and Youth, UN Agencies international partners and stakeholders.
The National Costed Roadmap to End Child Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation/cutting 2020-2024 is an evidence-based costed plan which outlines the key strategies, packages of interventions, and expected results, targets, and milestones towards the elimination of child marriage and FGM/C in Ethiopia.
“Now our work will be implementing the roadmap and I am well-grounded that our partners' support will continue with us. This roadmap will require a large amount of budget and we should not lag behind because of budget shortages.
To the United Nations and international partners, your presence here testifies your commitment to accompany the implementation of this road map, we count on your support so that this harmful practice becomes history in Ethiopia as well as in all developing countries. ” Sahele-Work Zewede, President of the Federal Republic of Ethiopia
“All girls deserve our utmost attention and dedication. They are children in need of protection, adolescent girls looking to be empowered and heard, and the future of entire communities” Adele khodr, UNICEF representative in Ethiopia, speaking on behalf of sister agencies UNFPA and UN Women
“This Roadmap not only sets out key strategies based on what works, but it also contains detailed costed plans for the federal level and regions. This means we know what needs to be done and how much it will cost. At household and community level, it is as critical to empowering girls as it is to engage fathers and mothers, men and boys, religious and other community leaders, to discard these practices which hurt girls and violate their human rights.” Adele added
Nationally, four in ten young women are married or in a union before their 18th birthday, placing Ethiopia among the top five countries with the highest burden of child marriages globally[1]. Ethiopia is home to 15 million child brides[2] and 24 million girls and women in Ethiopia are victims of FGM.
The National Costed Roadmap to End Child Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting has been produced by the Ministry of Women, Children, and Youth of Ethiopia with the technical and financial support of UNFPA, UNICEF, and UN Women. The roadmap applies across all contexts in Ethiopia, including in humanitarian and emergency situations which may exacerbate risks of child marriage and FGM/C for girls, reduce access to protective services, and have cross-border dimensions.
[1] Girls Not Brides - Top 20 countries with the highest absolute numbers of child marriage https://www.girlsnotbrides.org/where-does-it-happen/atlas/#/
[2] including currently married girls and women who were first married in childhood – see statistical brochure based on a further analysis of EDHS data (“Ending Child Marriage, A profile of progress in Ethiopia”)
