Faith leaders will adopt the necessary knowledge to improve the health of women by spreading awareness of the dangerous effects of EM and FGC.Faith leaders will have a substantial understanding of the sociocultural, policy, health and theological underpinnings of EM and FGC.The sessions of this Facilitator Training Manual focus on achieving the following goals among participating faith leaders by the end of the trainings: (A second guide, identical in content but theologically adjusted, has been created for Ethiopian Muslim faith leaders.) These sessions have been carefully designed to guide faith leaders through sensitive material and discussions, so that they can effectively support their congregants in healthy decision-making regarding FGC and EM. As such, the manual has been tailored to meet the unique and appropriate needs of Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church (EOTC) faith leaders.
This manual has been created to guide trainers in equipping faith leaders to address the harmful traditional practices (HTPs) of female genital cutting (FGC) and early marriage (EM) with their congregants.