While birth rates are falling in Ethiopia, over half of all Ethiopians are under the age of 20. Girls in Ethiopia are highly vulnerable to child marriage, female genital mutilation, and sexual or gender-based violence. Their voice and agency are more limited than that of boys, due to social norms that primarily value them as wives and mothers. While Ethiopia has made remarkable progress in equitably expanding primary education over the last two decades, the percent of Ethiopian girls in school drops significantly from 84 percent in primary to only 11 percent for secondary education.
Pathfinder International’s Act With Her project takes a panoramic approach to partnering with adolescent girls in laying the foundations that they need to thrive through the transition to adulthood. We are expanding this flagship project from Ethiopia in sub-Saharan Africa to Jordan in the Middle East.
