FGM – Female Genital Mutilation

In 2015, ARCHEMED launched its first project against female genital mutilation “Strengthen the position of women in Eritrea — fight against female genital mutilation”, funded through the EIDHR program (European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights) of the European Union. Since then, the project has been continuously continued with at least two missions per year until the Corona pause and the death of the Eritrean project partner in 2023.

Genital mutilation involves serious, extremely violent interventions in a child’s body that leave severe physical and psychological damage. Many international organizations classify circumcision as a violation of the human right to physical integrity.

Although the circumcision of female genitals has been prohibited in Eritrea since April 2007, it is still practiced particularly in the rural areas of Eritrea. There, ARCHEMED provides Eritrean women and men on site with awareness of the health and social risks and consequences of FGM. The goal is to reduce the occurrence and spread of genital mutilation through educational work and thus avoid acute complications as well as long-term consequences for the women and their families. Knowledge of the legal situation strengthens Eritrean women in their rights and promotes gender equality.

As part of the workshops taking place, all women and men in the project villages are particularly sensitized through the film “Behind the curtains of agony”, as this film shows real circumcisions of girls. In our experience, this film creates deep concern especially among the men, as the topic is taboo for them and they are confronted with the brutality of circumcision for the first time.

Part of our comprehensive educational work also includes the involvement of traditional circumcisers, for whom this work represents income generation. In addition to educating and training the circumcisers, it is our concern to open up an alternative earning opportunity for them.

Since the death of our Eritrean project coordinator Worku Zerai in 2023, the ARCHEMED program against the circumcision of Eritrean girls has been suspended. We are currently working on a realignment of the measures.