The Join our Chain project, co-funded by the EU, aims to tackle FGM and Early and Forced Marriage by strengthening support measures for people affected by and/or at risk of either practice and sensitizing affected communities against both practices. This project is coordinated by Terre des Femmes (Germany), Akidwa (Ireland), ActionAid Italy and End FGM EU (Brussels).
Dates: March 2023 to February 2025
The Join our CHAIN project is dedicated to the prevention and elimination of the harmful practices of female genital mutilation (FGM) and early and forced marriage (EFM) among affected communities in 3 EU member states (Germany (DE), Italy (IT) and Ireland (IE) and through the European Network End FGM EU. Both practices are forms of gender-based violence (GBV) that are often intertwined.
The project aims to tackle FGM and EFM committed against women and girls through continuous community empowerment, training, capacity building of key professionals, and sensitisation of relevant stakeholders -all promoting a community-based and gender-sensitive approach. Central to the project are representatives of affected communities (trained as Community Trainers (24 in total)) who will sensitise approx. 1.740 community members (through behaviour change activities and community events) and 48 community leaders.
In addition, community members are reached through an awareness-raising campaign in DE, IT and IE, developed with the Community Trainers and disseminated through the project's own new social media channel. Join our CHAIN also aims at strengthening and expanding the European community network formed during the CHAIN project.
A coordinated, quick response to FGM and EFM cases also requires coordinated action between several institutions and stakeholders to provide protection and support for women and girls affected by and/ or at risk of FGM/EFM. Therefore, the project focuses on strengthening support measures among 576 key professionals and relevant stakeholders through capacity-building and the promotion of local intervention chains (IC) also via three video tutorials of the model project (DE, IT, IE), enabling the exchange of good practices across the EU and disseminated by every partner organisation.
Project objectives
- Prevention and fight against the two harmful practices of FGM and EFM through awareness-raising and behaviour change, placing a community-based approach at the centre to actively involve affected populations
- Provide protection and support for girls and women affected by and those at risk of FGM/EFM through capacity-building to enable competent and culturally sensitive support and acknowledge the interconnectedness between FGM/EFM
- Giving a voice to community concerns and needs at the political level, putting EU political resolution into practice.
Project page on Terre Des Femmes' website (project coordinator).