The Transforming Impact of NORAD’s Joint Programs in Combating All Forms of FGM in the Harari Region of Ethiopia (2025)

Female genital mutilation (FGM) remains highly prevalent in Ethiopia’s Harari Region. From 2006 to 2024, Save the Children, Norwegian Church Aid, and NORAD implemented a comprehensive programme combining community engagement, legal advocacy, youth participation, religious leadership, and women’s economic empowerment to address the drivers of FGM. Evaluation findings indicate a significant decline in FGM practice, increased awareness of its health and legal consequences, stronger community accountability mechanisms, and shifts in social norms supporting abandonment. The programme demonstrates that integrating social and behaviour change, legal and religious engagement, and economic empowerment can accelerate and sustain progress toward eliminating FGM.