Globally, more than 200 million women and girls have undergone FGM/C. More than half of these girls and women live in three high-prevalence countries: Egypt, Ethiopia, and Indonesia. Given the increase in population growth, recent estimates show that the number of girls and women subject to FGM/C will continue to rise in the coming years unless sufficient efforts are undertaken to encourage abandonment of the practice. A descriptive analysis of changes in FGM/C prevalence over time in Ethiopia shows that the percentage of women aged 15–49 years who report undergoing FGM/C has been declining. Despite the decline, the FGM/C prevalence is still high at 65 percent with new incidences of girls being cut frequently reported. Various interventions have been implemented in Ethiopia for decades with varying success. This working paper provides details of a cross-sectional qualitative study that explores changes in social norms and practices associated with FGM/C in two “hot spot” regions: Somali and Oromia
