FGM, 'child marriage' remain health risks in Ethiopia

Meskerem Tesfaye, a mother of two who is expecting another child, returned home after attending service at St. Mary's Church in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa.

The living room was filled with the fragrant smell of incense. The floor was covered with loose grass as part of the traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony for get-togethers, and coffee was ready.

St. Mary is a patron saint of Tesfaye and her family. As the Ethiopian Orthodox family was celebrating their patron saint's day, Tesfaye's 12-year-old daughter, Tutu Bezabhe, affectionately hugged her.

Tesfaye is among the 65 percent of Ethiopian women aged 15-49 who has suffered from Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), which is widely practiced.

She reluctantly began recounting her ordeal, which took place nearly 26 years ago in a small rural town in southern Ethiopia.

"I was tied to a chair and my mother put a piece of cloth on my face," she said. "It was the most brutal, life-threatening moment in my life."  Tesfaye choked up with tears and continued.

"I regained consciousness after two days in a hospital, and my mother and father were crying with joy. This happened on St. Mary's day."

"The pain lasted for a long time, and the cutting had negatively impacted my relations with my family and the society for a long time," she said.

Her daughter, Bezabhe, who was ordered to stay put, rushed into the living room. Tesfaye hugged her and stared at her, saying, "This will not happen to you!" - Widely practiced

Ethiopia is the second-most populous nation in Africa after Nigeria with an estimated 110 million people. Women account for 50.2 percent of the population.

Zenebe Akalu, an expert with the Ethiopian Ministry of Health, said that early marriage...