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Family, Life Course, and Society

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Population Council

2020

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Full-Text Articles in Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abriendo Oportunidades Strengthens Government Education Programming For Indigenous Adolescent Girls In Guatemala, Population Council Oct 2020

Abriendo Oportunidades Strengthens Government Education Programming For Indigenous Adolescent Girls In Guatemala, Population Council

Research Utilization and Impact Briefs

For over 15 years, Abriendo Oportunidades has partnered with national and local authorities to improve educational prospects for indigenous girls. In Guatemala, evidence and ongoing technical assistance have helped to strengthen and expand the Ministry of Education’s alternative education programs for adolescents, ensuring they are responsive to the needs of indigenous rural communities.


Midline Report: Accelerating Action To End Child Marriage In Bangladesh, Masuma Billah, Eashita Haque, Surojit Kundu, Md. Saddam Hossain, Momoe Makino, Sajeda Amin Sep 2020

Midline Report: Accelerating Action To End Child Marriage In Bangladesh, Masuma Billah, Eashita Haque, Surojit Kundu, Md. Saddam Hossain, Momoe Makino, Sajeda Amin

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This report describes results from the midline survey of Accelerating Action to End Child Marriage in Bangladesh. The objective of the program is to identify effective and scalable approaches to end child marriage by empowering girls and communities. To bring about social norms change, the program experiments with alternative means of community engagement that can be offered in conjunction with skills-development opportunities for adolescent girls. The program is being assessed in a multi-arm cluster randomized trial. This report explores the impact on the prevalence of child marriage in two districts of Bangladesh as well as on a range of other …


Reclamation: Returning To Matrilineal Traditions, Building A New Generation Of Indigenous Girl Societies, Kelly Hallman, Stephanie Martinez, Lisa Polen, Angel Del Valle Sep 2020

Reclamation: Returning To Matrilineal Traditions, Building A New Generation Of Indigenous Girl Societies, Kelly Hallman, Stephanie Martinez, Lisa Polen, Angel Del Valle

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Created in 2017, the Indigenous Adolescent Girls’ Empowerment Network (IMAGEN) brings together organizations from rural and urban indigenous communities in the United States to strengthen the protection, safety, and resilience of girls by reclaiming neighborhood spaces and building local female-relative-led mentorship programs. IMAGEN, headquartered at the Girl Innovation, Research, and Learning (GIRL) Center in New York City, promotes the use of data-driven approaches in building assets for these adolescent girls. This report highlights the results of the IMAGEN Program Planning Workshop held in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, December 3–5, 2019. The workshop stressed an urgent need for culturally grounded programming …


A Case Study Of Ovc Case Management Through The Zambia Family (Zamfam) Project—Brief, Population Council Sep 2020

A Case Study Of Ovc Case Management Through The Zambia Family (Zamfam) Project—Brief, Population Council

HIV and AIDS

The ZAMFAM program aims to improve the care and resilience of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) as well as young people living with HIV in Zambia by providing support and protection and by strengthening the capacity of children, families, and the community to better manage the socioeconomic shocks of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. A case study approach was employed to understand actors and perceptions, and to document best practices by the program. This brief summarizes the case study findings. The ZAMFAM program utilized several approaches to improving the well-being of OVC. Services or referrals were provided to beneficiaries through home visitation …


A Case-Study Of Ovc Case Management Through The Zambia Family (Zamfam) Project, Lyson Phiri, Drosin Mulenga, Nancy Choka, Caila Brander, Nachela Chelwa, Nkomba Kayeyi Sep 2020

A Case-Study Of Ovc Case Management Through The Zambia Family (Zamfam) Project, Lyson Phiri, Drosin Mulenga, Nancy Choka, Caila Brander, Nachela Chelwa, Nkomba Kayeyi

HIV and AIDS

Zambia’s HIV prevalence is estimated at 11% among adults aged 15–49 years and 1% among children younger than 15 years. An estimated 10% of Zambia’s population is at high risk of being orphaned or vulnerable due to the HIV epidemic. The Zambia Family (ZAMFAM) project aims to improve the care and resilience of vulnerable populations while supporting HIV epidemic control. ZAMFAM used a case management approach that tracks beneficiaries from identification to graduation. The Population Council conducted a qualitative case study to understand actors and perceptions, and document best practices. Program beneficiaries viewed the ZAMFAM program as having made a …


Support Clubs For Children And Youth In Haiti Living With Hiv: A Case Study, Susan Settergren, Robert Philippe, Joanne St. Louis, Nathaniel Segaren, Sylvie Boisson, Tessa Lewis, Olbeg Désinor, Kesner François Aug 2020

Support Clubs For Children And Youth In Haiti Living With Hiv: A Case Study, Susan Settergren, Robert Philippe, Joanne St. Louis, Nathaniel Segaren, Sylvie Boisson, Tessa Lewis, Olbeg Désinor, Kesner François

HIV and AIDS

In Haiti, where an estimated 3,000 children and youth are receiving antiretroviral therapy (ART), Caris Foundation, with funding from the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), provides hospital-linked psychosocial support groups, known as Kids Clubs, for young people ages nine and older. The clubs are intended to help ensure that HIV-positive children and adolescents stay in contact with health services, and serve as a conduit for delivery of other services, including health messages and health products. In 2019, Project SOAR conducted a study to describe the Kids Club …


Important Lessons On Fgm/C Abandonment From Four Research Studies In Egypt, Nada Wahba, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Abeer Salem Jul 2020

Important Lessons On Fgm/C Abandonment From Four Research Studies In Egypt, Nada Wahba, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Abeer Salem

Reproductive Health

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) continues to be a widespread practice in Egypt. According to the 2014 Egypt Demographic and Health Survey, the prevalence of FGM/C was 92 percent among ever-married women aged 15–49. However, Egypt continues to witness a drastic surge in the medicalization of FGM/C, with 74 percent of women aged 19 years and younger circumcised by medical practitioners, compared to 55 percent in 1995. This policy brief provides key results and recommendations of four studies conducted by the Population Council/ Egypt under the Evidence to End FGM/C project, in coordination with Egypt’s National Population Council. The four studies …


Commentary: Using Law More Effectively Towards Abandonment Of Fgm/C In Kenya, Agnes K. Meroka-Mutua Jul 2020

Commentary: Using Law More Effectively Towards Abandonment Of Fgm/C In Kenya, Agnes K. Meroka-Mutua

Reproductive Health

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is considered a harmful cultural practice and a form of violence against women. Kenya has an FGM/C prevalence rate of 21 percent, but levels vary by ethnic group. Kenya has adopted a robust legal framework for the prohibition of FGM/C, including passage of the Prohibition of FGM Act in 2011, a detailed law that criminalizes carrying out FGM/C and associated offenses. Kenya relies on the human rights–based approach and criminalization in its legal framework for the prohibition of this practice. Despite extensive legal provisions, Kenya has prosecuted fewer than 100 cases, raising concerns with the law’s …


Lessons From A Five-Year Research Programme On Fgm/C And Their Relevance For Policy And Programmes In Kenya, Dennis Matanda, Agnes K. Meroka-Mutua, Samuel Kimani Jul 2020

Lessons From A Five-Year Research Programme On Fgm/C And Their Relevance For Policy And Programmes In Kenya, Dennis Matanda, Agnes K. Meroka-Mutua, Samuel Kimani

Reproductive Health

The Sustainable Development Goals target the elimination of all forms of harmful practices, including female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) by 2030. Kenya has made progress in addressing the elimination of FGM/C through ratification of global instruments and enactment of the Prohibition of FGM Act in 2011 and other supportive laws. The Act created the foundation for the establishment of the Anti-FGM Board, which provides policy leadership and coordination of anti-FGM/C programs in Kenya. More recently, the President of Kenya issued a decree for accelerated elimination of FGM/C by 2022. This synthesis report highlights how evidence generated over the last five years …


Measuring Empowerment Among Adolescent Girls In The Context Of Intervention, Population Council Jul 2020

Measuring Empowerment Among Adolescent Girls In The Context Of Intervention, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Empowerment is an important goal in adolescent girl programming but remains elusive and unobserved from a quantitative measurement perspective. This brief describes a statistical exercise conducted to explore adolescent girl empowerment as a latent or underlying concept that, while not directly observed, may be illustrated through responses to questions on behaviors and attitudes asked in quantitative structured interviews. Data were used from a randomized controlled trial that demonstrated the impact in delaying girls’ age at marriage in rural Bangladeshi communities with a high prevalence of child marriage. The study collected extensive data on potential measures of voice, choice, and agency …


Building Assets For Humanitarian Settings, Women's Refugee Commission, Population Council Jun 2020

Building Assets For Humanitarian Settings, Women's Refugee Commission, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This document is the Women’s Refugee Commission and the Population Council’s adaptation of the Building Assets Toolkit and its core activity, the Asset Exercise, for use in humanitarian contexts. An asset-building exercise is a thoughtful way to build intentional program content for girls to determine what assets they need in order to survive and thrive. This is particularly important for programs intended to reach the poorest girls in the poorest communities based on sound evidence on the reality of their lives. The Council’s Building Assets Toolkit is rooted in this exercise, helping practitioners, policymakers, and advocates build tailored, meaningful, …


Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A Review Of Laws And Policies In Kenya And Nigeria, Samuel Kimani, Otibho Obianwu Jun 2020

Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A Review Of Laws And Policies In Kenya And Nigeria, Samuel Kimani, Otibho Obianwu

Reproductive Health

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a cultural practice that has health and human rights impacts on girls and women. The health sector has responsibility for prevention and response to provision of care services to women/girls with FGM/C-related complications. The mandate for the health sector response to FGM/C is anchored in nationwide or sector-specific legal/policy instruments. Kenya and Nigeria have ratified global legal/policy instruments and adopted WHO guidelines/tools for the prevention and management of FGM/C. The extent to which existing legal/policy documents in these two countries address prevention and response to management of FGM/C has been unclear. A desk review was …


Appendices—Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A Review Of Laws And Policies In Kenya And Nigeria, Samuel Kimani, Otibho Obianwu Jun 2020

Appendices—Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A Review Of Laws And Policies In Kenya And Nigeria, Samuel Kimani, Otibho Obianwu

Reproductive Health

This document contains Appendices to “Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A Review of Laws and Policies in Kenya and Nigeria.” Appendix 1 contains two tables: “Components of Kenyan Laws Related to FGM/C Prevention and Management,” and “Components of Nigerian Laws Related to FGM/C Prevention and Management.” Appendix 2 contains seven tables: “Components Relevant to Health Sector Response to Prevention and Management of FGM/C in Kenyan Policies,” “Components Relevant to Health Sector Response to Prevention and Management of FGM/C in Nigerian Policies,” “Components Relevant to Health Sector Response to Prevention and Management of FGM/C in the Kenyan Plans of Action,” “Components Relevant to …


Creative Assets And Program Content Guide: To Build Social And Emotional Learning And Promote Trauma Mitigation And Healing, Adolescent Girl And Creativity Network Jun 2020

Creative Assets And Program Content Guide: To Build Social And Emotional Learning And Promote Trauma Mitigation And Healing, Adolescent Girl And Creativity Network

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

In 2016, the Adolescent Girl and Creativity Network was commissioned by the Population Council’s Community of Practice to utilize their wealth of knowledge and field experience to critically examine, adapt, and expand the Council’s Building Assets Toolkit© and complementary Asset Exercise. The question explored was: What are the essential assets pertinent to the most-at-risk girls and how can they be built through creative techniques/activities? This guide is the result of that activity—13 creative assets and 50 activities (program content) to build social and emotional learning, mitigate and manage trauma, and promote healing. The 50 creative program content activities to …


Domestic Work, Sexual Abuse, And Exploitation In Tanzania, James K. Matheka, Elizabeth Shayo, Annabel Erulkar Jun 2020

Domestic Work, Sexual Abuse, And Exploitation In Tanzania, James K. Matheka, Elizabeth Shayo, Annabel Erulkar

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Domestic work is characterized by excessive working hours, extremely low pay or no pay at all, and conditions that make the profession exploitive in many cases. Evidence is emerging that domestic work is a feeder profession for sex work. One study of more than 2,000 commercial sex workers in Ethiopia found that 42 percent were former domestic workers. However, little is known about transitions to commercial sex work or commercial sexual exploitation in Tanzania. The objective of the research detailed in this brief was to expand the understanding of child domestic workers and commercial sex workers/girls who are commercially sexually …


Adapting The Asset Exercise For Humanitarian Contexts, Women's Refugee Commission, Population Council Apr 2020

Adapting The Asset Exercise For Humanitarian Contexts, Women's Refugee Commission, Population Council

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

As a guiding program theory, asset-building centers on the idea that skills, knowledge, relationships, and concrete resources can all constitute assets, or “stores of value,” that girls can, in turn, mobilize to make healthy choices, seek support, navigate institutions, and access entitlements. This approach is inherently multisectoral, rooted in a commitment to prioritize understanding of and respond to the diversity of girls’ needs, capacities, and experiences. The Asset Exercise operationalizes the concept of “asset-building” into concrete terms. The exercise consists of a deck of 100 “asset cards,” and eight “age cards.” Asset cards reflect both intrinsic qualities, concrete knowledge, and …


Fertility Preferences And Behaviors Among Younger Cohorts In Egypt: Recent Trends, Correlates, And Prospects For Change, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Shadia Attia, Nourhan Bader, Rania Roushdy, Shatha El-Nakib, Doaa Oraby Apr 2020

Fertility Preferences And Behaviors Among Younger Cohorts In Egypt: Recent Trends, Correlates, And Prospects For Change, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Shadia Attia, Nourhan Bader, Rania Roushdy, Shatha El-Nakib, Doaa Oraby

Reproductive Health

After years of steady decline, Egypt experienced an increase in the total fertility rate (TFR) from 3.0 births per woman in 2008 to 3.5 in 2014, which was coupled with an increase in desired family size among young people. To better understand this increase in fertility as well as prospects for change, the Evidence Project/Population Council conducted secondary analyses of quantitative data from the Egypt Demographic and Health Survey (EDHS) and the Survey of Young People in Egypt (SYPE) and collected qualitative data from young people and key informants. This report examines the changes in fertility preferences and behaviors among …


When And How Does Law Effectively Reduce The Practice Of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting?, Josephine Wouango, Susan L. Ostermann, Daniel Mwanga Apr 2020

When And How Does Law Effectively Reduce The Practice Of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting?, Josephine Wouango, Susan L. Ostermann, Daniel Mwanga

Reproductive Health

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is recognized globally as carrying risks to both the physical and psychological health of girls and women and is widely considered a violation of human rights. An estimated 200 million girls and women in 30 countries have undergone FGM/C and as many as 30 million girls younger than 15 years of age are at risk. A common policy response to FGM/C is to call for the enactment and enforcement of criminal prohibitions on the practice. Yet, compliance with laws is complex: it can be motivated and undercut by moral, social, religious, and incentive-based factors. The study …


Measurement Of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Status: Perspectives From Healthcare Providers, Policymakers, Programme Implementers, And Researchers, Dennis Matanda Apr 2020

Measurement Of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Status: Perspectives From Healthcare Providers, Policymakers, Programme Implementers, And Researchers, Dennis Matanda

Reproductive Health

Among practicing communities, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a highly sensitive and emotionally charged issue, and open discussion is often considered taboo. Not only may it be difficult to motivate people to discuss the topic, but the validity of their responses may be questionable. These factors make research on FGM/C challenging and hence the need for careful consideration of research methodologies. There is a need for proper documentation of the strengths and limitations of the various data-collection methodologies to assist in generating reliable data for programmatic efforts toward FGM/C abandonment. This working paper describes a study undertaken to highlight methodological …


Can Adolescent Girls' Safe Space Clubs Effectively Run Solar-Powered Mobile Phone Charging Stations In Rural Sierra Leone?, Nadia Assad, Sarah Blake Apr 2020

Can Adolescent Girls' Safe Space Clubs Effectively Run Solar-Powered Mobile Phone Charging Stations In Rural Sierra Leone?, Nadia Assad, Sarah Blake

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Access to electricity in rural Sierra Leone is scarce. Estimates on the proportion of households having regular access to electricity range from 1 to 5 percent. Along with mobile phones, which are now common even in settings where phone lines never reached, new energy technologies are beginning to fill in where traditional infrastructure is absent. Solar technologies hold promise for expanding access to electricity while offering sustainable alternatives to expensive, nonrenewable sources for powering lights, phones, tools, and appliances. Recognizing that there is important learning to be done in connecting adolescent girls’ clubs and solar technologies, the Population Council conducted …


Keeping Girls In Schools To Reduce Child Marriage In Rural Bangladesh—Research Brief And Baseline Highlights, Sigma Ainul, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Md. Irfan Hossain, Forhana Rahman Noor, Iqbal Ehsan, Sajeda Amin, Ubaidur Rob Apr 2020

Keeping Girls In Schools To Reduce Child Marriage In Rural Bangladesh—Research Brief And Baseline Highlights, Sigma Ainul, Md. Noorunnabi Talukder, Md. Irfan Hossain, Forhana Rahman Noor, Iqbal Ehsan, Sajeda Amin, Ubaidur Rob

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

Bangladesh has made considerable progress in improving access to education at all levels for the last two decades. Despite these impressive gains, Bangladesh continues to face challenges of student dropout at the secondary level. Girls drop out of school earlier than boys because of child marriage. Targeted policies and interventions designed to improve mainstream educational attainment and decrease child marriage may be the effective and sustainable way to address both issues. The Population Council implemented the project “Keeping Girls in Schools to Reduce Child Marriage in Rural Bangladesh.” An intervention research study, the project tests a life-skills and tutoring support …


Evidence Around Engaging Men In Hiv Prevention And Treatment, Julie Pulerwitz, Ann Gottert, Jerry Okal, Sanyukta Mathur Apr 2020

Evidence Around Engaging Men In Hiv Prevention And Treatment, Julie Pulerwitz, Ann Gottert, Jerry Okal, Sanyukta Mathur

HIV and AIDS

No abstract provided.


Exploring The Overlap: Women Now’S Feminist Humanitarian Support And The Community Of Practice, Judith Bruce, Aisha Dennis Apr 2020

Exploring The Overlap: Women Now’S Feminist Humanitarian Support And The Community Of Practice, Judith Bruce, Aisha Dennis

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

This conversation took place between Judith Bruce, Senior Associate and Policy Analyst of the Population Council, and Aisha Dennis, former Program Director for Women Now for Development. Women Now for Development’s mission is to initiate programs led by Syrian women that protect Syrian women and children across socioeconomic backgrounds and empower women to find their political voice and participate in building a new, peaceful Syria that respects and safeguards equal rights for all its citizens. Aisha’s impressive breadth of expertise includes conflict resolution and the application of international law through strategic litigation, as well as practical experience in supporting Syrian …


Two Implementation Models Of Workers' Health Education Programs In Egypt: What Works? What Doesn't Work?, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Norhan Bader, Elizabeth Tobey, Aparna Jain Mar 2020

Two Implementation Models Of Workers' Health Education Programs In Egypt: What Works? What Doesn't Work?, Nahla G. Abdel-Tawab, Norhan Bader, Elizabeth Tobey, Aparna Jain

Reproductive Health

This brief presents findings from two models of workers’ health education programs implemented by the Evidence Project/Population Council in Egypt. The two interventions aimed to increase family planning (FP) service demand among young people aged 18–35 in Port Said and urban Souhag. In Port Said, male and female factory workers who were trained as peer educators shared family planning/reproductive health (FP/RH) information with fellow factory workers, distributed communication materials, and provided referrals to infirmary nurses trained in FP counseling. In Souhag, male and female peer educators were trained to provide integrated FP/RH and livelihood workshops to job seekers. Results of …


Abriendo Futuros: A Program For Rural Indigenous Girls In Yucatan, Mexico, Fabiola Romero, Ludivine Cicolella, Silvana Larrea, A. Fallone, Isabel Vieitez Martínez Mar 2020

Abriendo Futuros: A Program For Rural Indigenous Girls In Yucatan, Mexico, Fabiola Romero, Ludivine Cicolella, Silvana Larrea, A. Fallone, Isabel Vieitez Martínez

Poverty, Gender, and Youth

The Abriendo Futuros (AF) program builds on the Council’s global experience of designing and implementing successful girl-centered programs in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean. AF aims to improve the living conditions of Mayan girls (10–18 years) and contribute to the achievement of gender equity in the Yucatan. The program’s community-focused strategy seeks to empower girls through interpersonal communication and participatory workshops. Girls in selected communities are divided into age groups (10–14 and 15–18) that meet weekly with a mentor in safe spaces. The program’s mentors are young women aged 20–30 from the communities, who …


Implementation Process Brief: Integrated Family Planning And Hiv Services At The Community Level In Kenya, Wilson Liambila, Sara Chace Dwyer, Charlotte E. Warren, Aparna Jain, Melsa Lutomia, Jane Loech, Elizabeth Washika Mar 2020

Implementation Process Brief: Integrated Family Planning And Hiv Services At The Community Level In Kenya, Wilson Liambila, Sara Chace Dwyer, Charlotte E. Warren, Aparna Jain, Melsa Lutomia, Jane Loech, Elizabeth Washika

Reproductive Health

Enabling women living with HIV to use contraception effectively can decrease unintended pregnancies and in turn reduce maternal mortality and vertical transmission of HIV. This brief describes the implementation process and intervention tested under the Evidence Project for delivering integrated FP and HIV services at the community level in Kenya. It outlines the implementation steps, best practices, and lessons learned of an intervention that was tested within the existing community health structure. Community health volunteers were trained to offer FP as part of their routine services to women living with HIV, and community health units were prepared to sustain those …


The Community Health System In Bangladesh: An Overview, Frontline Health Project Mar 2020

The Community Health System In Bangladesh: An Overview, Frontline Health Project

Reproductive Health

This brief provides an overview of the community health system in Bangladesh. Bangladesh is divided into eight administrative divisions, 64 districts, and 545 subdistricts, known as upazilas. Each rural area within an upazila is divided into union parishads and mouzas, which are further divided into villages. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare has an extensive health infrastructure that is pluralistic and follows the country’s administrative pattern. Union parishads are the smallest administrative unit in rural areas. At the lowest administrative level, traditional healers, nonqualified allopathic practitioners, and community health workers (CHWs) are typically the only providers available. This brief …


The Community Health System In Haiti: An Overview, Frontline Health Project Mar 2020

The Community Health System In Haiti: An Overview, Frontline Health Project

Reproductive Health

This brief provides an overview of the community health system in Haiti. In Haiti, the health system is overseen at the national level by the Ministry of Public Health and Population (Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population-MSPP) which provides policies and standards for service delivery at all levels, including the community level. Health service delivery is managed and coordinated across three levels: national (level III), health department (level II), and district and community levels (level I). The national level is guided by the MSPP and provides policy guidance for community-level service delivery. The Health Department level is …


Exploring Changes In Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: Shifting Norms And Practices Among Communities In Fafan And West Arsi Zones, Ethiopia, Getaneh Mehari, Asabneh Molla, Ayantu Mamo, Dennis Matanda Mar 2020

Exploring Changes In Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: Shifting Norms And Practices Among Communities In Fafan And West Arsi Zones, Ethiopia, Getaneh Mehari, Asabneh Molla, Ayantu Mamo, Dennis Matanda

Reproductive Health

Globally, more than 200 million women and girls have undergone FGM/C. More than half of these girls and women live in three high-prevalence countries: Egypt, Ethiopia, and Indonesia. Given the increase in population growth, recent estimates show that the number of girls and women subject to FGM/C will continue to rise in the coming years unless sufficient efforts are undertaken to encourage abandonment of the practice. A descriptive analysis of changes in FGM/C prevalence over time in Ethiopia shows that the percentage of women aged 15–49 years who report undergoing FGM/C has been declining. Despite the decline, the FGM/C prevalence …


Considerations For Collecting And Documenting Fgm/C Data By Health Care Providers, Dennis Matanda Feb 2020

Considerations For Collecting And Documenting Fgm/C Data By Health Care Providers, Dennis Matanda

Reproductive Health

Data on female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) are rarely collected in health facilities, yet routine collection of facility-based data through other health-seeking visits (e.g., during antenatal care) is considered good medical practice and can be an important source of data. Clinical exams provide an opportunity to identify women and girls who have undergone FGM/C, which is an important step in aiding the prevention of chronic complications that can be difficult to manage later in life. These exams also make it possible to refer those with FGM/C-related complications for specialized treatment. Clinical visits also present an opportunity to discuss prevention of the …