Genital mutilation
USAID : working to eradicate female genital cutting
USAID works with local communities and global activists to end female genital cutting
Authors:
; USAID
Publisher:
US Agency for International Development , 2003
This short paper offers a brief background of the practice of female genital cutting (FGC), and then explores USAID policies to end the practice. The report then details USAID's programming approaches to end FGC. As of September 2000, the USAID incorporated eradication of FGC into its development agenda. To integrate the policy into its existing family programs and strategies, USAID further:
- collaborates with other donors and activist groups to implement a framework for research, policy change, and advocacy and to coordinate efforts, share lessons learned, and increase public understanding of FGC as a health-damaging practice
- partners with indigenous groups at the community level, as well as with global and national policymakers, to reduce demand through behavior change programs including community
education, alternative rituals, and by promoting broader education and disseminating information on the harmful effects of FGC
- The authors also discuss USAID's programming against FGC in Kenya, Egypt, and Senegal.
