Obligation to Protect (O2P) Egypt Agents of Change Unite against FGM/C SUMMARY 
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) is an extreme form of violence against girls and women. This project, which is being carried out by Plan and its partner, Association of European Parliamentarians with Africa (AWEPA), aims to eradicate this practice within a generation in selected communities in the Egyptian governorates of Assiut and Giza. To underscore the kind of optimum outcomes that are crucial for the permanent eradication of FMG/C this project is being carried out at individual, community and institutional levels. It teaches communities about girls’ rights and that FGM/C is illegal. It also encourages local organisations, like youth and women’s groups, to challenge norms and attitudes and it supports parliamentarians in implementing effective legislation. This four-year project started in January 2014 and is part of a bigger programme that is being carried out in four countries (Egypt, Sudan, Kenya and Ethiopia). FGM/C is a violation of human rights and an extreme form of violence and discrimination against women. It involves the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other types of injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. It is viewed as a traditional practice, despite it being very painful and risky for the health of girls and women. It can also cause many complications during menstruation, pregnancies and childbirth, and can even sometimes result in death.
FGM/C is still carried out on 74 per cent of girls between the ages of 15 and 18, mainly because of tradition and their mothers’ belief that it’s cleaner and that it gives their daughters a better chance of finding a husband. FGM/C is seen as a family responsibility and a way of preserving girls’ virginity by controlling their sexual behaviour. Doctors and other trained medical staff carry out 75 per cent of FGM/C. This “medicalisation" of FMG/C has had an undesired effect in that it has made the practice more accepted. To eliminate FGM/C, the social norms and values that fuel its continuation must be changed. Furthermore, legislation against FGM/C must be improved and enforced.  Men and boys will have to lobby for this and girls must be empowered to stand up for their sexual and reproductive health rights, and supported in doing so too. Individuals and local organisations are being trained to act as human rights defenders, meaning the project is tackling FGM/C at individual, community and institutional levels. In the context of this project: 
- girls, boys, and local youth and women’s groups are being empowered to oppose these violations and are being trained as human rights defenders;
- local development organisations, women’s groups and agents of change are lobbying to change the norms and values that justify and continue this harmful practice; 
- the legal and protection systems in the affected counties in Egypt are being strengthened and parliamentarians are being influenced.

All activities in the project are inter-connected and individual and community initiatives are being supported by a legal framework. Local organisations are playing a watchdog role in the case of violations that have already happened or are about to happen, and taking the necessary steps against these violations. The Netherlands' Embassy in Egypt supports the strengthening and protection of human rights in the country. The UNICEF/UNFPA  Joint Programme against FGM/C is strengthening the structure of the government at both national and regional levels. The project also works at community level and targets groups that are not yet covered by the above-mentioned initiatives, namely: girls, boys and local organisations and parliamentarians. It also targets the governorates of Assiut and Giza, where Plan Egypt is implementing different interventions. These interventions are in the areas of child protection, the eradication of FGM/C, youth initiatives, women and girls empowerment, economic empowerment, active citizenship and civil society engagement. Some 40,000 girls and 40,000 boys between the ages of 10 and 18 in Giza and Assiut will benefit from this project. The girls have been identified by Plan as being vulnerable to FGM/C. The boys are important because they are seen as the defenders and future guardians of the changed social norms and proponents of the eradication of FGM/C. The project’s activities are described below at three levels.

At individual level the project entails:
- the organisation of 60 FGM/C awareness sessions/campaigns in each governorate for 50 girls, young men, women and community leaders;
- 16 trainings on child rights, drama and theatre communication for 15 girls, children & youth clubs and FGM/C awareness associations, to help and support them in serving as community agents among their peers;
- 15 events like international days (women’s days, FGM/C Abandonment Day, Family Day) for awareness/public declaration campaigns.

At community level the project entails:
- eight Training of Trainer (ToT) sessions for 75 community promoters and volunteers, according to an FGM/C abandonment manual;
- eight specific trainings on harmful practices/FGM/C, advocacy and ToT for community leaders, medical workers, religious leaders etc.;
- eight specific trainings for healthcare staff, teachers and social workers in primary and preparatory schools, and family-counsellor training on pre-marriage awareness/counselling and reproductive health awareness and family-counselling skills;
-eight trainings for local organisations in four communities and four child protection committees on girls’ rights, child protection and FGM/C, as well as advocacy activities to support the project at a local level;
-eight exchange visits in which community members visit model villages where FGM/C has been eradicated; 
-16 meetings for the networks of local organisations that are working to counter violence against women/girls and harmful practices at governorate level.

At institutional level the project entails:
- quarterly  meetings for the national anti-FGM/C committee to follow-up on FGM/C law enforcement; 
- workshops on lobbying and advocacy efforts to enforce anti-FGM/C legislation, with participants from local organisations, key ministries and human rights activist at national and governorate levels;
- public-hearing sessions through community visit By changing social norms, this project is driving a permanent change in the way people see FGM/C. Once social norms in a community change, that change is usually irreversible, meaning that, thanks to this project, FGM/C prevalence rates will continue to drop after it has ended. 

By connecting and strengthening local organisations, youth groups and women groups, the project is installing structures that will remain in place after its completion. These organisations are acting in networks to jointly influence change at governorate and national levels. Furthermore, by creating safe spaces for girls and young women they will be able to discuss their problems and get the support they need to claim their rights.

The project is also strengthening the linkages between the various types of change makers. This will improve cooperation in stopping FGM/C and give girls and young women access to important actors at local, state/district and even national levels.

Once they are adopted, specific legislation and policies on FGM/C will continue to be effective. By training parliamentarians and improving the relationships they have with communities, parliamentarians will get a better overview of how laws are implemented and the impact that these laws have. This, in turn, will have a structurally beneficial impact on girls and young women in those communities.