Progress in Anti-FGM Work in Ethiopia’s Somali Region Despite Challenges

Efforts to combat female genital mutilation (FGM) in Ethiopia’s Somali region remain highly challenging. Progress toward improving the rights of women and girls is only possible through collaboration with religious leaders and local communities. 

Traditional culture strongly shapes the status of women and girls. 

“Women are raised to be quiet servants to men and the family, while men are brought up to be strong heads of households. After school, girls help their mothers with housework, while boys are free to enjoy their leisure time,” says Amal Mohamed, coordinator of ISF’s work against gender-based violence. 

ISF’s project work also aims to support men and help them understand how improving the status of women benefits the entire family and community. 

Women in the region face various forms of violence, particularly in the home. 

“Women are dependent on men and are considered their property. Domestic violence occurs in nearly every second household, especially in rural areas. Women rarely dare to report abuse, as they believe it is normal and to be expected,” Mohamed explains. 

If a woman has physical evidence of violence, she can report it either to a clan leader or to a female officer at the police station who specializes in gender-based violence. 

ISF began its work to reduce gender-based violence in Jijiga, Somali region, in September 2024. 

“We’re already seeing results. At first, communities refused to even discuss domestic violence. Now, we have opened a women-only space where women can access information about their rights and receive peer support,” says Mohamed. 

The FGM Rate Is Declining Slowly, but the Type of Cutting Is Changing More Rapidly 

In the Somali region, about 98% of girls and women have undergone FGM. Medical personnel have been prohibited from performing the procedure since 2017. 

“In practice, most FGM procedures are performed by traditional birth attendants and others outside the health care system. Because FGM is so deeply tied to religion here, it’s hard to ban the practice through law alone. However, discussions are ongoing at the local government level about banning the practice,” Mohamed says. 

Some local religious leaders teach that Type I FGM, also known as “sunna,” is a religious duty for Muslims. However, this harmful practice has no basis in Islam—or in any other religion. 

“Instead of talking about ‘FGM,’ we talk about ‘cutting.’ When locals hear ‘Stop FGM,’ they think it refers only to Type III. That’s why our slogan is ‘Stop All Cutting,’” Mohamed explains. 

Change is slow. 

“There has been long-standing work against Type III FGM in the region. It has decreased significantly, but Type I remains common,” says Kaltoum Houssein, an expert with ISF. 

She hopes that collaboration with religious leaders will eventually lead them to adopt a zero-tolerance stance on all forms of cutting. 

“The situation is very challenging. A wider debate is currently taking place about whether Type I FGM should be performed by medical professionals, as it’s seen as safer than traditional cutting done secretly at home. We are still far from having a community-wide discussion about banning and criminalizing all forms of FGM,” Houssein says. 

Religious leaders play a key role. 

“Our goal is to convince religious leaders of the harmfulness of the practice,” says Houssein. 

Cultural Beliefs Are Deeply Rooted 

Efforts to reduce FGM are hindered by deeply entrenched cultural beliefs, such as the idea that an uncut girl won’t find a good husband. 

“A man may send his wife back to her childhood home if she has not been cut. An uncut woman is seen by the community as forbidden (‘haram’), taboo, or spoiled—not a proper woman,” says Houssein. 

Marwo Abdi, a founding member of the Ugaaso NGO and a well-known women’s rights activist, lists additional harmful cultural beliefs that perpetuate FGM: 

“People believe FGM keeps a woman pure and protects her. For some, it’s also a beauty standard—they see only a cut woman as beautiful, and an uncut one as ugly. In the past, when Type III FGM was common, the woman’s family received more money after the wedding night depending on how tightly the woman was sewn and how much effort the man had to make to break the stitches.” 

The safe space for women, which opened in March, is a crucial way to share information about women’s rights and empower women to stand up for themselves. It also offers a trusted environment where women can talk openly about their issues and experiences and receive peer support.