Abstract: Female genital mutilation (FGM) prevalence in Afar and Somali regions of Ethiopia is over 90% among pastoral communities. Given the effects FGM has on women, it is critical that survivors are rehabilitated and protected. However, rarely are the protection services adequate in rural pastoral communities in Ethiopia. As it stands, there lacks a strong empirical framework upon which the protection services can be advanced to survivors in the Afar and Somali regions. The objectives of this study were to investigate the opportunities and challenges FGM survivors encounter by utilizing legal and health protection services. The study used a Participatory Action Research design where participants were sampled purposively and some snowballed from Afar and Somali regions. Data was collected using in-depth interviews and group dialogues. Participants included legal, FGM, and health experts, community members and religious leaders. Data was analyzed using thematic analysis. The study found that utilizing legal and health protection services creates anti-FGM community conversation sessions, and informs survivors on anti-FGM law. Lack of autonomy, poor awareness and inaccessibility challenged cut girls’ utilization of health and legal protection services. The study concludes that utilizing legal and health protection services makes survivors aware of the harms and myths/beliefs surrounding FGM. The study recommends that, the government of Ethiopia i) integrate the formal and customary FGM-related laws and coordinate their implementation at the community level to streamline FGM-survivor service delivery by health and legal protection centers. ii) Introduce protection training at school as a compulsory subject.

Keywords: Opportunities, challenges, Female Genital Mutilation, Survivors, Protection