Informing humanitarians worldwide 24/7 — a service provided by UN OCHA

World + 5 more

How to Transform a Social Norm: Reflections on Phase II of the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on Female Genital Mutilation

Attachments

Author: UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on Female Genital Mutilation

How to "Transform a Social Norm" is a three-part reflection on Phase II (2014-2018) of the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on Female Genital Mutilation: Accelerating Change. It complements a more quantitative report, How to Transform a Social Norm, of this phase of the largest global programme on the abandonment of FGM, as called for in Target 5.3 of the Sustainable Development Goals.

The first part addresses the challenges, complexities and strategies employed by the Joint Programme, which uses a social norms lens to understand how the traditional practice persists in spite of the physical and emotional scars it exacts on girls and women. Short features illustrate many of the main ideas. Part II is a case study of how the Joint Programme strategies have been implemented in Nigeria, a country where some 10 million girls are at risk of FGM by 2030. Part III, Tales of Transformation, is a more detailed look at some of the strategies in action.

A companion booklet, "Performance Analysis for Phase II," demonstrates the positive difference the Joint Programme has made in galvanizing support for the elimination of FGM.