The World Health Organization work and experiences in combating female genital mutilation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Abstract

This thesis is dedicated to a better understanding of World Health Organization contribution to process of combating female genital mutilation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The World Health Organization is well known all over the world for their work in public health. This organization is dealing with many issues concerning health and well being of people, the one of these issues is combating female genital mutilation. The practice of female circumcision/female genital mutilation is practiced in many countries in African as in Ethiopia. The variety of reasons, age of the girl circumcised and many other aspects make the process of combating of this practice challengeable. The one of the many strategies for combating female circumcision is legal prohibition of this practice. World Health Organization have contributed to this process by adopting resolutions urging Member states to establish national policies to end traditional practices that are harmful to the health of women and children. However, that the practice of female circumcision is recognized as violation of internationally adopted human rights, for some groups of people is this practice seen as part of their culture, tradition and norm of the behaviour. The focus of this thesis to find out what the World Health Organization does in combating female genital mutilation in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, and what kind of experiences World Health Organization has in combating this practice. In addition, I am focusing on the World Health Organization’s cooperation with non-governmental organizations in the process of eliminating this practice.