News

 Ethiopia working to end early marriage and female genital mutilation

 Bahir Dar 

Discussions were held at the beach to address early marriage and female genital mutilation. The discussion was organized by the Ethiopian Council of Religious Institutions and the Amhara Regional Council of Religious Institutions. It has been discussed that early marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) continue to be a problem in both Ethiopia and the Amhara region.

 A member of the board of the Northwest Evangelical Churches Union said they were teaching the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) in their church as well as scientific facts. He called on the public to heed the advice of health professionals on the issue of early marriage and female genital mutilation. 

Angel Mind Waka is the General Secretary of the Debarq Diocese of North Gondar. He explained that early marriages, especially if the two parties did not agree, were forbidden by their religion to marry under the influence of another party. He said that participating in the discussion would help them to teach their children how to get married and stay married when they are old enough to marry.

 "Marriage partners need to be mentally and physically strong before marriage," he said. West Gojjam Zone Islamic Council Secretary General Shambhala Mustafa Mulualem said the Holy Qur'an forbids women and men from marrying prematurely. 

They point out that many local marriages have been annulled. They say that if a girl's body and mind are not suitable for marriage, she will not be able to run her house properly. The forum also featured a discussion on the situation of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the Amhara region, the problems it causes and the solutions it provides. 

The introductory article was presented by Amhara Regional State Women, Children and Youth Affairs Bureau Women's Movement and Participation Promotion Director, Simachew Dagne. According to a 2018 study conducted by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), 23 out of the 50 districts where child marriage is prevalent in Ethiopia are located in Amhara State.

 According to data collected in the state of Amhara in 2013, 5,763 children were married in 2012 EC, of ​​which 4,199 did not return to school. According to Simachew, old traditions are the main reasons for early marriage and the establishment of relationships. "The community is well aware of the need for early marriage and female genital mutilation," he said, adding that the community's problem is that it does not understand the effects of the practice on women and children. 

In addition to physical harm, including early fistula, early marriage can lead to divorce, migration, prostitution, exclusion, and other social crises, he said. Therefore, he said, it should always be the duty of the clergy to prevent such acts. He said the community should be aware of the dangers and work hard to prevent such harmful practices.

 He said Ethiopia is working to prevent early marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) by increasing the number of activities to curb the practice eight times. It requires the commitment of all parties to achieve this, he said.