The Dutch government has invested CHF46 million (USD 59 million) in an ambitious five-year programme that will protect girls in East Africa from female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) as well as child, early, and forced marriage (CEFM). This milestone commitment aims to end harmful practices in Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia, enabling girls to control their bodies and choose their futures.
In February 2026, Amref Health Africa, Plan International, and civil society partners in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia came together to launch Future4Binti. This ambitious five-year programme, funded by the Government of the Netherlands, aims to protect girls in the three countries from female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C) as well as from child, early, and forced marriage (CEFM). The CHF46 million programme will be implemented in close coordination with the governments of Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia.
In the past decade, East African countries have made meaningful, measurable progress towards curbing harmful practices like FGM/C and CEFM. Change has been most significant when sustained, grassroots-led, and girl-centred approaches have shifted social norms and strengthened protection systems.
However, significant challenges remain. In Ethiopia, 65% of women have undergone FGM/C, and 40% are married off before turning 18. In Kenya, community-led efforts to end FGM/C have resulted in prevalence declining to 15%, in itself anachievement worth celebrating: yet nearly one in four girls still marry before 18. In Somalia, FGM/C is nearly universal (99%), and early marriage continues to affect more than a third of girls.
The impact on whole generations of girls is profound. FGM/C causes physical and psychological harm that can be life-long, as well as creating risks during pregnancy and childbirth. Child marriage often leads to early pregnancies and puts a premature end to girls’ education, limiting their horizons and perpetuating intergenerational inequality.
“For too long, harmful practices have limited the potential of our girls,” says Nice Leng’ete, Amref Health Africa alumna and founder of A Nice Place Foundation. “While we have seen meaningful progress in reducing FGM/C and child marriage across East Africa – progress made possible through sustained community leadership and the committed support of partners – those gains remain fragile.”
The initiative comes at a critical time. Across Africa, contextual factors including poverty, conflict, migration, and the climate crisis are coming together to threaten progress made to date and put more girls at risk.
“The Future4Binti programme is therefore vital to sustaining and accelerating the progress made to date,” continues Nice Leng’ete. “Girls deserve to stay in school, grow up safe, and make informed choices about their own lives. This new programme strengthens our ability to protect girls today while empowering a generation to shape its own future with dignity and confidence.”
Future4Binti builds on partners’ years of experience in combating FGM/C and child, early, and forced marriage (CEFM). The programme will work through and with not only girls themselves but also their families, communities, healthcare systems, and governments at national and sub-national levels.
Because harmful practices like FGM/C and CEFM stem from deep-rooted gender inequality and power imbalances, the programme focuses on community-led change in social norms, improved protection, quality healthcare, and effective legislation.
The programme will also build the skills of frontline healthcare providers and expand access to high-quality, survivor-centred medical and psychosocial services for girls and women affected by harmful practices.
“Africa’s greatest asset is its young population,” says Dr Githinji Gitahi, Group CEO of Amref Health Africa. “But we must ask ourselves: what are the chances that a young person reaches 18 with their full human capital potential intact? Harmful practices such as FGM/C, early marriage, and teenage pregnancy rob girls of that potential before it can be realised.
“If we are serious about achieving the aspirations of Agenda 2063 and building prosperous, self-reliant nations, we must confront the barriers that limit opportunity from the very beginning.”
During the final event, three projects were recognised for their innovation, relevance, and potential impact:
The selected projects received seed funding to support the early implementation phases of their initiatives in Kenya and across the East African region.
Harmful practices do not stop at national borders. In some cases, new laws or stricter enforcement in one country have led families to cross into neighbouring countries to cut or marry off their daughters. By working simultaneously in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia, Future4Binti strengthens regional coordination to ensure that protection mechanisms are aligned and that girls are protected wherever they live. This cross-border approach has proven effective in other end-FGM/C programmes implemented by Amref Health Africa, including on the border between Senegal and Guinea.
“Future4Binti goes beyond service delivery,” says Dr Gitahi. “It is about shifting social norms from within communities, strengthening local capacity, expanding access to quality services, and ensuring that every girl, regardless of where she is born, grows up with safety, dignity, and opportunity.”
115CHF could enable one girl or young woman living in an FGM/C-practising community to attend a CL-ARP training, teaching her about her health and rights – and how to claim them
