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Female genital mutilation is one harmful traditional practice that is highly prevalent in African countries such as Guinea, Sierra Leone, the Gambia, Mauritania, Mali, and Burkina Faso, as well as in Sudan, Egypt, and Ethiopia. In these harmful traditional practices, women have an essential role as both perpetrators and victims of FGM. In developing countries, the issues of FGM receive little attention in restoring and maintaining the well-being and health of women, and the governments have not given them due attention. The socio-cultural settings also make women's lives miserable. This study tried to assess the community perception, socio-cultural reasons, and the consequences of FGM on women's livelihoods. It also integrates the issue of FGM in the study areas with the UN SDGs goals for 2030. In this study, a qualitative approach supported by a phenomenological study design has been employed. Twelve affected (or females) were included in the research, as were six circumcisers/female genital cutters or experts, five victim household parents, two focus group discussions, and the life histories of the three victims of female genital mutilation in the region. The findings of this study reveal that women are victims of harmful traditional practices in general and FGM in particular. Women's cultural influence on tradition makes them accept that religion orders so. Women support FGM as they are less educated than men and because of the secondary social status they have in society. To minimize the problem, both governmental and nongovernmental organizations should work collaboratively with community members. Subjects: Gender Studies; Medical Sociology; Social Justice [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examined factors leading to child labor exploitation and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) involvement in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia. It involved two NGOs in Addis Ababa: Sheger Child and Family Development Society (SCFDS) and Future Hopes International Development Organization (FHIDO). A cross-sectional descriptive research design was used. The findings of this study revealed that sex, age, household size, child relationship with the family, family employment status, marital status, and educational level of the household were significant predictors of child labor abuse in the research areas. The results also showed that both FHIDO and SCFDS provided various services to end child labor abuses in the study areas. Also, the chosen non-governmental organizations provide school materials and supplies and educational and vocational training on child labor exploitation and how to handle it for the children and their parents/guardians. Despite political reasons, the NGOs' training for households and children was not effective in altering the problem of child labor abuse. Therefore, the researcher recommends that there should be collaborative and strong vocational and educational training that raises awareness in society as a whole of the potential impact of premature child work and that these NGOs should improve their ways of providing their wakefulness creation training for the community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Female-headed households have now become highly prevalent across the world. Much research in low-income urban populations has identified female household heads as more vulnerable and less secure livelihoods than male households. The study's main goal was to investigate the livelihoods of female-headed families in Jimma town, southwestern Ethiopia, using a sustainable livelihoods approach (SLA), which examines and evaluates community experiences of poverty and disadvantage. However, this study used a qualitative approach supported by a phenomenological study design to achieve the stated objectives. The study data were collected from March–to July 2019 and involved 30 in-depth interviews, five key informants, and two focus group discussions. This study revealed that since female heads of households have low levels of educational attainment and employment access, most of them fall into the low-income groups, making their livelihood insecure. Besides, based on their gender and marital status, they are treated in hideous ways and isolated from participating in societal affairs, and they are vulnerable to violence. The widowed and those females living as FHHs were mainly blamed for their husbands' deaths. Therefore, local governmental and non-governmental organizations should facilitate training in income-generating activities and access to credit services for those with the motivation, desire, and capacity to run their businesses and various activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]