Implementing Child Marriage and FGM Prevention Programmes in Humanitarian Settings
A formative research study in select African countries
Highlights
Girls at risk for child marriage and female genital mutilation are subject to higher risk in areas designated as humanitarian situations, whether chronic, as in refugee camps and protracted displacement, or when shocks occur, such as flooding and droughts. Programming to address the needs of girls and increased risk in these situations is often sparse, difficult to implement, or deprioritized to address issues deemed emergent.
In order to better understand the landscape of programming and how these programmes are designed to work well under challenging conditions of humanitarian situations, UNICEF Innocenti undertook a study in seven Sub-Saharan African countries with primary data collection in three of these. Covering interviews with more than 50 practitioners, the reports review the existing literature and design documents on programmes designed to address child marriage and FGM in humanitarian settings in Sub-Saharan Africa, highlights promising programme practices and provides recommendations for future work to adapt and improve programming in these spaces.
Girl-centered approaches that mitigate challenges such as distance, inaccessibility, reduced funding opportunities, short timelines, and other considerations specific to humanitarian settings have potential to greatly increase the effectiveness of these programmes and ensure that no girl is left behind.
The main report covers all seven countries. Specific insights from practitioners and the literature in Kenya, Mozambique, and Niger are presented in separate reports.
