AkiDwA's Join our CHAIN Launch of Intervention Chains Manual

Join Our CHAIN Launch of Intervention CHAINS Manual

Introduction to Join Our CHAIN Project

The Join our CHAIN project is dedicated to the prevention and elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Early and Forced Marriage (EFM) among affected communities in 3 EU member states (Ireland (IE), Germany (DE) and Italy (IT)) and through the European Network End FGM EU. Both practices are forms of gender-based violence (GBV) that are intertwined. The project aims to achieve its objective of ending FGM and EFM through continuous community empowerment, trainings, capacity building of key professionals as well as 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 will be reached through awareness-raising campaigns in IE, DE and IT. These campaigns are going to be developed with conjunction with Community Trainers in each country and will be disseminated through projects own new social media channel.

Join our CHAIN also aims to strength and expand the European community network formed during the CHAIN project phase 1 which was implemented in Milan, Italy. 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 (IE, DE, IT) enabling exchange of good practices across the EU and disseminated by every partner organisation.

Building on the success of the model projects of the CHAIN project for Berlin and Milan, the project puts a focus on continued coordination along the already existing models of ICs, to not only implement and disseminate model projects of ICs in additional regions/states in DE and IT but also develop new IC in Ireland (IE). In total, 3 newly developed ICs will be presented at National Launch Conferences to 210 key professionals and other relevant stakeholders. In addition, three bilateral advocacy meetings and an international conference in Brussels will take place to involve the EU politicians on the discourse of FGM and EFM at the same time using bottom up approaches to bring to the fore community demands and needs.

Ireland is implementing the Join our CHAIN Project in Mallow, Cork. We are holding an event on Thursday the 20th of June 2024 in the Hibernian Hotel, Mallow, starting 11.15 am. This event will be led by the Community Trainers and we will have speakers drawn from the Key Stakeholders – who are a big part of the Join our CHAIN Project - , Community Leaders including religious leadership, young people from FGM/EFM affected groups in Mallow. This event is a follow up to the successful Community Trainers led event which was held on February 29th 2024 and an equally successful consultation (online) with Key Stakeholders and Community Trainers held on 9th May 2024.

Date and time: 20th June 2024, starting 11.15am

Venue: Hibernian Hotel, Mallow, Co Cork

Contact person: Dr Caroline Munyi email: caroline@akidwa.ie +353 (0)1 8349851