The East Africa Four Literacies Programme is a partnership of organisations from Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Somaliland, Sudan and the UK with a mission to improve the rights of women in East Africa and address women's vulnerability and marginal status through activities based on advancing four kinds of literacy: Body Literacy, Money Literacy, Word Literacy and Civil Literacy.

Our programme works on the local, national, regional and international levels to attack the root causes of women's inequality and poverty in each region by focusing on improving women's health, developing their economic independence, reducing poverty, advancing education, working for women's participation in decision-making, and furthering the cause of human rights and citizenship.

What's New

• NGO PERSPECTIVES 10 YEARS AFTER BEIJING read the report looking at the concerns of the global women's movement by Brita Fernandez Schmidt here.

• CALL FOR PAPERS FOR NEW FGC CD-ROM Help fill in gaps in the report written by the Population Reference Bureau, Population Council, PATH, Family Health International, and The Manoff Group: Information on Female Genital Cutting: What Is Out There? What Is Needed?  More information is needed, especially on best practices/evaluation results, operations research results, training manuals, and advocacy tools. If you have any material you think should be included, please send an electronic copy to the following e-mail address: ryniaksarah@yahoo.com  before June 30, 2005.

• KMG'S ERADICATING FGM CELEBRATION View photos here

• ERADICATING FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION: SEXUALITY RIGHTS VERSUS CULTURAL RELATIVISM Do FGM eradication interventions address the sexuality rights of women? Read the paper by Kathambi Kinoti here.

• FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION: AN AFRICAN CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE read the new paper from EAFL partner, Pokot Kiletot here.

• EUROPEAN COMMISSION AND WORLD BANK AGREE TO INTENSIFY PARTNERSHIP TO SUPPORT AFRICA On April 18, 2005, the European Commission and the World Bank agreed to an intensified partnership to support Africa’s push to accelerate economic growth and make faster progress toward achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Read more here.

• NEW FGM STUDY BY LARS ALMROTH "Genital mutilation of girls in Sudan Community- and hospital-based studies on female genital cutting and its sequelae" Read the paper here.

• SEMINAR: LEGISLATIVE AND RELIGIOUS CAMPAIGNS AGAINST THE CRIME OF FEMALE CIRCUMCISION was held April, 2005 in Giza, Egypt by EAFL partner, the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights, and attended by 180 participants, including both women and men, members of local councils, representatives from the social affairs administration, doctors, rural and health workers and teachers of literacy.  Read more about the seminar here.

• VISIT EAFL PARTNER KMG'S NEW WEBSITE at www.kmgselfhelp.org.

• EAST AFRICA FOUR LITERACIES ANNUAL MEETING AND CONFERENCE ON FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (FGM) was held on 29^th March 2005 – 8^th April 2005 in Khartoum, Sudan.  The aim of the conference was to create a forum of exchange and learning between religious leaders, scholars, legal experts, civil society and other experts to examine and develop a common understanding of religion on FGM.  The 6^th Annual Planning meeting reviewed activities of the previous year and new ones of the year ahead.  Read reports from the conference and the meeting for more information.

EAFL Partner Publications

FGM Sharia Verdict: Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Historical Background, Views in Islamic Shari'a & Recent Research's Findings on FGM (2004): Prepared by the Sudan National Committee on Traditional Practices

Women's Laws between Islamic "Shariaa" and Personal Status Laws (2004): by Nehad Abul Komsan of the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights

Political and Economic Discrimination Against Women (2004): by Nehad Abul Komsan of the Egyptian Center for Women's Rights

FGM Psycho-socio-sexual consequences & attitude change (2004): Prepared by the Sudan National Committee on Traditional Practices

Liberation of the Arab Woman: From Coast to Coast (2003): Prepared by Nehad Abul Komsan and Negad Al Borai

Historical Information on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): Prepared by the Sudan National Committee on Traditional Practices

SNCTP educational brochure about FGM

ECWR brochure on the concept of gender and women's rights

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Last updated 20 June, 2005