Review of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) Projects in Eritrea

The Norwegian Church Aid (NCA) programme "Combating FGM/C in Northern Red Sea Region" has not yet started its second phase, and the main focus of the review is on the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA)/National Union of Eritrean Women (NUEW) programme "Anti-FGM/C Campaign". In August 2005 an agreement of NOK 3.6 for five years was signed with UNFPA and with NUEW as implementer. The main intervention of this programme is outreach activities in the villages of Debub zoba, wherein anti-FGM/C committees organise meetings in schools, health centres and villages, to serve as an arena for discussing issues related to FGM/C, gender and reproductive health and rights. Since this programme only started in 2006, it is too early to draw any conclusions about the work in the field.

Interesting Findings

• During the first phase of the programme a baseline survey has been undertaken, facilitators have been trained and IEC materials developed. At the time of the review, twelve anti-FGM/C committees had been established, and a total of 88 persons had been trained.
• Since January 2007 the anti-FGM/C campaign committees have organised various kinds of meetings and gatherings in all the 12 sub-zobas.
• A separate mass-media campaign in the national radio has been broadcasted.
• Few young people were observed at the village meetings visited. This is a challenge in view of their importance as a target group.
• Efforts to target circumcisers with micro credit in order to provide them with alternative livelihoods have had mixed results. Thus, this type of intervention should be tested out and handled with caution.
• While the UNFPA/NUEW programme document acknowledges that the health approach to combating FGM/C is too narrow, the gender and human rights approach has not been given a sufficiently high priority during training and dialogue meetings.
• Not least in order to utilise resources in the most efficient way, parallel vertical interventions on HIV prevention, FGM/C and gender issues should be avoided. Instead an integrated, multi-disciplinary and community-based approach should be followed. This is not sufficiently reflected in the programme document, and efforts to work across ministerial boarders should be given particular emphasis.
• While the capacity within UNFPA and NUEW to follow up the project seems to be sufficient, a further extension to other areas would require more staff at the head quarter of NUEW. It should be explored how UNFPA could contribute to capacity strengthening on i.e. gender issues, HIV prevention, reproductive health and rights, and a more integrated approach.
• It is urgent to develop and implement an appropriate monitoring system and to focus on results in the reporting at all levels of the programme.

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