Soul Beat Africa

• * CHILD MARRIAGE - empowering child brides and working with faith leaders...
• * UN INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE GIRL CHILD celebrated on October 11...
• * FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION/CUTTING (FGM/C) - changing policies and norms, and mobilising communities...

• 1. Towards Economic and Sexual Reproductive Health Outcomes for Adolescent Girls (TESFA) - EthiopiaLaunched in 2010, the Towards Economic and Sexual Reproductive Health Outcomes for Adolescent Girls (TESFA) project was designed to improve the lives of child brides ages 10 to 19 in Ethiopia's rural Amhara region by empowering them with financial and livelihood skills and providing sexual and reproductive health information. Led by CARE International and the International Center for Research on Women (ICRW), the 3-year project used peer-education within small group settings.
  
• 2. Improving the Lives of Married Adolescent Girls in Amhara, Ethiopia: A Summary of the Evidence [2013]By Jeffrey EdmeadesPublished by ICRW, this evaluation report discusses the experience and impact of the TESFA project described above. The evaluation "found that the lives of married adolescent girls in the TESFA programme improved significantly in economic, health and social terms."
  
• 3. Ending Child Marriage in a Generation: What Research Is Needed? [January, 2014]By Margaret E. Greene, PhDThe purpose of this paper is to identify gaps in the research on child marriage in order to identify areas that require additional investment and attention. The paper maps current knowledge of child marriage and the programmes (including communication-centred programmes) designed to address this practice, and offers a coordinated research framework - in dialogue with programmes - and recommendations for ending child marriage.
  
• 4. Mapping Early Marriage In West Africa: A Scan of Trends, Interventions, What Works, Best Practices, and the Way Forward [September, 2013]By Judith-Ann WalkerThis report shares findings of a study mapping early marriage in West Africa, examining trends in the practice over 12 years in 16 countries and providing information on the current status of the problem and efforts to combat it. According to the report, many initiatives use advocacy and community mobilisation as a main strategy, but states that these and other intervention areas would benefit from increased awareness, better coordination, integrated strategies, and monitoring and information sharing.
  
• 5. Early Marriage and Female Genital Cutting: Ethiopian Orthodox Church Faith Leader Toolkit Published by Religions for Peace, this toolkit is designed to educate faith leaders and make it easier for them to talk about early marriage and female genital cutting. The toolkit is also designed to help leaders to answer the tough questions they may receive from their congregation and includes medical facts and theological references that help faith leaders to speak out against these practices.
  
• 6. More Power to Her: How Empowering Girls Can End Child Marriage [September, 2014]By Ann Warner, Kirsten Stoebenau, Allison M. GlinskiPublished by ICRW, this report shows how and why investing in girls - in particular, focusing on approaches that revolve around the involvement of girls themselves - is critical to the global movement to end child marriage. It builds on ICRW's 5 evidence-based strategies articulated in 2011 (see report below) to delay or prevent child marriage: 1) Empower girls with information, skills, and support networks; 2) Provide economic support and incentives to girls and their families; 3) Educate and rally parents and community members; 4) Enhance girls' access to a high-quality education; and 5) Encourage supportive laws and policies.
  
• 7. Solutions to End Child Marriage: What the Evidence Shows [June, 2011]By Anju Malhotra, Ann Warner, Allison McGonagle, Susan Lee-RifeFrom the ICRW, this brief summarises a systematic review of child marriage prevention programmes that have documented evaluations. Based on this synthesis of evaluated programmes, the authors offer an analysis of the broader implications for viable solutions to child marriage and identifies five main strategies for delaying marriage or preventing child marriage.
  
• 8. Child Marriage Interactive MapThe Ford Foundation along with the Girls Not Brides campaign released a child marriage interactive map, examining 30 countries with high rates of child marriage. The website shows statistics by marriage age, legal age of marriage, secondary education, maternal morality rates, and early childbearing.
  

• In 2011, a United Nations resolution established October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC), a day designated for promoting the rights of girls and addressing the unique challenges they face.
  
• The theme for 2014 is Empowering Adolescent Girls: Ending the Cycle of Violence. Click here to access the concept note and key messages for 2014.
  

• 9. Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: A Statistical Overview and Exploration of the Dynamics of Change [July, 2013]Published by UNICEF, this report discusses what publishers consider is the largest ever number of nationally representative surveys from 29 countries where Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) is concentrated, including 17 new surveys undertaken in the last three years. It includes data on girls under 15 years of age, providing insights on dynamics surrounding FGM/C, while also presenting estimates on prevalence and levels of support for the practice nationally and among selected population groups. According to the report, only with such knowledge can policies and programmes be effectively designed, implemented, and monitored to promote its abandonment. The report also calls on activists to "Be louder, be clearer and bring the voices against female genital mutilation or cutting into the public sphere."
  
• 10. Protecting Girls from Undergoing Female Genital Mutilation: The Experience of Working With the Maasai Communities in Kenya and Tanzania [2011]Published by Equality Now, this booklet discusses the experiences of the Tasaru Ntomonok Initiative (TNI) in Kenya and the Network Against Female Genital Mutilation (NAFGEM) in Tanzania - organisations that both take a gender and rights based approach to the prevention of FGM, mostly in Maasai communities. The two case studies show that despite "difficulties in changing tradition, TNI and NAFGEM are making systematic inroads into tackling FGM in indigenous communities, by combining social mobilisation efforts with a rights and legal framework approach to the prevention of FGM."
  
• 11. Ending Female Genital Cutting: Lessons From a Decade of Progress [2013]Charlotte Feldman-JacobsThis report by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) reflects on and discusses efforts to promote the abandonment of FGM/C over the last decade. It synthesises lessons learned from interventions and outlines insights to strengthen future programmes. It is intended to provide policymakers and advocates with perspectives on how to better move forward to create the conditions needed to end FGM/C. Overall, the review and interviews suggest that there has been significant progress in building momentum for change, with particular successes in advocating for improved policies and laws. There have also been positive efforts to engage communities, including chiefs, religious leaders, and other community influencers, in support of women and girls' rights.
  
• 12. UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting: Accelerating Change - Summary Report of Phase I 2008 - 2013 [2014]This report reflects on the experience of the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, which is being implemented in 15 African countries. A partnership between the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the programme applies a culturally sensitive, human rights-based approach that strategically leverages social dynamics to promote abandonment of FGM/C.
  
• 13. Aligning With Local Cultures to End Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting [2013]This booklet discusses how efforts to end FGM/C will be most successful when approaches that are respectful and sensitive of local culture are used, while also recognising that such traditions are deeply entrenched social norms. A key factor of success that has been identified is to stimulate a shift in social norms, in both the local community and in its networks of intra-marrying communities. Based on examples from Senegal, Kenya and Sudan, this booklet, published by the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, outlines different ways in which this shift can occur.
  
• 14. End FGM/C Social Change Campaign - AfricaLaunched in January 2014, the 5-year End FGM/C Social Change Campaign is mobilising for increased momentum to end FGM/C in Africa, by working at international, regional, national, and community levels to raise awareness, transform attitudes, and change behaviours. A key part of the strategy is strategic communications and media advocacy, coalition building, and the use of evidence and success stories to galvanise political and social commitment and financial resources to support change. The programme is being led by Equality Now and FORWARD, in collaboration with a consortium of partners.
  
• 15. A Handbook for Religious and Cultural Leaders Engaging Communities to End Female Genital Mutilation [2011]This publication was developed as part of the behaviour change strategy of a project in Kenya that seeks to end FGM by expanding the engagement of men in religious and cultural institutions. The publication seeks to clarify some of the common myths and misconceptions that perpetuate FGM and "opens space for dialogue between religious, cultural leaders and members of the community and promotes alternative rite of passage." The project and publication are supported by African Women's Development and Communications Network (FEMNET)'s Men to Men Programme.
  
• For more information on FGM/C, see this previous Soul Beat newsletter:The Soul Beat #159: Eliminating FGM/C and Changing Social Norms