The Steering Committee of the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) today met Her Excellency Dr. Ergoge Tesfaye, Minister of Women and Social Affairs. They discussed the progresses made on the elimination of FGM in Ethiopia and shared feedback from a field visit to Dalocha woreda in the Silte Zone in the Central Ethiopian Region.
The Steering Committee members, represented selected donor countries such as Canada, Germany, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America.
During the meeting, the committee commended the government of Ethiopia for its outstanding efforts in combating FGM throughout the country. They specifically praised the government's ownership and effective coordination, prevention interventions and community engagement initiatives, which have all contributed to the successful fight against this harmful practice.
In her address, the Minister expressed her gratitude to the donors for their generous contributions and for traveling to Ethiopia to show their support. She requested the donors to continue their assistance in areas such as social service workforce development, the implementation of the national costed roadmap, and the three R's initiative for the GBV response, which focuses on rehabilitation, registration, and resilience.
It was agreed to sustain the collaborative partnership in the joint programme on the elimination of FGM and Child Marriage, with the shared goal of achieving Sustainable Development Goal 5.3. The Minister reiterated that the Government of Ethiopia remains dedicated to working towards the elimination of harmful practices such as early and forced marriage and Female Genital Mutilation and is grateful for the support from international partners.
The meeting was attended by Dr. Aboubacar Kampo, the UNICEF Country Representative, and Mr. Taiwo Oluyomi, the UNFPA Deputy Representative.
