Many women and girls around the world are affected by harmful traditional practices (HTP) such as female genital mutilation (FGM) and child marriage. According to UNICEF estimates in 2016, at least 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM. Over 30 million girls are at risk of being subjected to this practice in the next decade. Worldwide, approximately 700 million girls and women were married before their eighteenth birthday; 250 million were below the age of fifteen. FGM and child marriage are serious forms of violence against girls and women. These practices have drastic health consequences for the individuals concerned, while violating their rights and severely restricting their opportunities for self-empowerment and participation.
International agreements and conventions address the issue of female genital mutilation and harmful traditional practices, condemning them as serious human rights violations. Eliminating harmful practices such as female genital mutilation and child, early and forced marriage is also enshrined in the goals of the United Nation’s 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (Target 5.3).
In 2015, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) published a position paper on FGM. The paper stipulates that measures to counter FGM must be integrated into development cooperation activities, and suggests approaches for action. However, these current political directives and proven approaches towards ending FGM and other harmful traditional practices have yet to be implemented coherently.
Objective
BMZ’s development policy directives and proven approaches towards ending female genital mutilation and other harmful traditional practices are being implemented.
Approach
The project provides specialist advice to BMZ and the implementing organisations on their development policy positioning at bilateral and international level on the issues of FGM, child, early and forced marriage, and other harmful traditional practices.
It also provides technical and methodological support for cooperation partners, for example the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on FGM/C, and promotes the development of networks between the actors. In addition, it conducts regional training on proven approaches used within the scope of German development cooperation, such as the Generation Dialogue.
The project assists various GIZ projects in partner countries as they implement these approaches to eradicate harmful traditional practices in Africa and Asia. One example is the Dialogue with Religious Leaders. Tried-and-tested approaches designed to put an end to FGM are also being adapted for use in different contexts and for application to other issues such as child marriage. Relevant training is being provided. For example, the manuals originally produced for the Generation Dialogue on ending FGM in Pakistan were re-worked to deal with harmful practices affecting maternal health. In Guinea, the Dialogue with Religious Leaders approach is being used with a view to ending child marriage and FGM.
Results
The specialist advice provided by the project ensures that harmful traditional practices are addressed in implementation-oriented development policies and strategy papers, and are discussed in political dialogues with partner countries and at multilateral level. For example, ending FGM and child, early and forced marriage is a strategic goal in BMZ’s Development Policy Action Plan on Gender Equality 2016–2020 (GAP II).
Empirical data and materials that have been refined or adapted from trialling the approaches are processed and made available to the implementing organisations and other interested parties.
The project has helped develop the capacity of cooperation partners, enabling them to apply the proven approaches to specific contexts. It has also built up strong cooperation relationships to facilitate knowledge sharing between German development cooperation organisations and local, regional and international actors. These constitute lasting contributions towards ending harmful traditional practices.
A decrease in harmful traditional practices is of direct benefit for girls and women living in the countries concerned. At the same time it will lead to a significant reduction in gender inequality and discrimination against girls and women.