Calls for Change: How Interactive Voice Response Technology Aims to Eliminate Harmful Traditional Practices in Ethiopia
By: Reagan Steirn
Advocacy efforts in the prevention of child marriage and female genital mutilation (“FGM”) in Ethiopia have increased with the testing and implementation of Interactive Voice Response (“IVR”) technology.[1] With 40% percent of girls married before the age of eighteen and 65% percent of women and girls aged 15-49 having undergone FGM[2], IVR technology aims to strengthen young girls’ knowledge and skill sets in the opposition of these harmful traditional practices.[3] IVR allows for the delivery of information, such as the life skills training programme, to reach girls without the need for a live agent by utilizing either pre-recorded messages or text-to-speech technology with a dual-tone multi-frequency (“DTMF”) interface.[4] While interactive in nature, IVR technology requires minimum literacy.[5] The goal of IVR is to equip adolescents with the tools needed to oppose child marriage and FGM, understand the generational impacts of these harmful traditional practices, become informed about support services for targeted individuals, and encourage increased reporting of such incidents.[6]
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), in partnership with the Ministry of Women and Social Affairs (MoWSA), developed the National Out of School-Girls Empowerment Manual to provide both in-person and mobile phone-based educational sessions using IVR technology.[7] Following the COVID-19 pandemic, UNICEF continued its efforts to support girls remotely through IVR initiatives through VIAMO Inc, a social enterprise focusing on the improvement of lives via mobile.[8] Although only 24% of Ethiopia’s population has internet access, the expansion of 3G and 4G networks enabled mobile-cellular coverage to reach around 97% of the population.[9] As the ownership of mobile phones continues to increase, the life training programme using IVR is increasingly accessible to girls in both developmental and humanitarian situations.[10]
Child Marriage and FGM: What is Being Done?
Child marriage is the arrangement of marriage involving girls under the age of eighteen, usually to significantly older men, perpetuating an imbalance in gender power dynamics.[11] These marriages are usually arranged by the parents of the individuals involved, sometimes including forceful abduction by the prospective husband if his marriage proposal is rejected by the girl or her parents.[12] These underage marriages have persisted in Ethiopia due to factors such as limited access to education, poverty, and the predominant belief among parents that early marriage reduces the risk of pre-marital sex and sexually transmitted diseases.[13] Similarly, societal norms in Ethiopia value the control of women’s sexuality and purity through practices of FGM.[14] This practice varies from a cliterodectomy and/or excision to the more invasive and severe form of FGM known as infibulation.[15] For many girls, FGM causes both short and long-term consequences such as excruciating pain, psychological impact, infection, and the possibility of death.[16]
Ethiopia, together with the African Union, has indicated a strong commitment to eliminating child marriage and FGM through government initiatives such as legislative measures and collaborative efforts with international organizations.[17] The Constitution of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia (“the Constitution”) eliminates harmful traditional practices alongside the May 2005 Criminal Code.[18] Article 35 § 4 of the Constitution states, “The State shall enforce the right of women to eliminate the influences of harmful customs. Laws, customs and practices that oppress or cause bodily or mental harm to women are prohibited.”[19] While Articles 34 and 36 touch on marital rights as well as the rights of children, child marriage and FGM are not explicitly addressed.[20] However, Criminal Code, Article 565 makes it punishable by imprisonment for not less than three months or a fine not less than 500 birr for anyone who circumcises a woman of any age.[21] Likewise, Article 566(1) of the Criminal Code states that infibulation of a woman’s genitalia is punishable by imprisonment for a term of three to five years.[22]
While the Ethiopian government has undertaken significant steps in reforming women’s rights within the Constitution and Criminal Code as well as the implementation of several other policies to combat child marriage and FGM, education continues to be instrumental in the elimination of harmful traditional practices.[23]
How Does IVR Work?
The first step in UNICEF’s attempt at using IVR technology started with the registration of girls within the correct demographic.[24] Information such as sex, age, geographic area, and education was collected.[25] Following this step, girls participated in a co-creation of content that would be used to contextualize the content used in the preventative program.[26] Once this step had been completed, content was translated into seven languages that were compatible with the targeted regions.[27] The IVR system was launched and set to transmit modules on a weekly basis to the registered phone numbers.[28] Messages were sent to participants to inform them of the upcoming module and its purpose.[29] After the system was perfected, registered participants would receive calls or would be able to call-in to connect to the training module.[30]
IVR provides user-friendly, weekly content from child marriage and FGM experts.[31] These experts create dialogue between adolescents by guiding users in pushing messages and services about these harmful traditional practices.[32] UNICEFs efforts during the COVID-19 pandemic proved to raise awareness of these practices, changing users’ attitudes and behaviors towards them.[33]
Conclusion
Looking ahead, UNICEF hopes to increase IVR targeted regions, providing adolescent girls with proper knowledge and understanding in the advocacy against child marriage and FGM.[34] Its implementation of IVR technology will strive to create shorter, more tailored trainings to target groups.[35] This is in the hope that these harmful traditional practices will cease by 2030.[36]
https://pixabay.com/vectors/ethiopia-flag-map-geography-1758949/
[1] See Fikerselam Getinet et al., Development of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) Remote Training in Ethiopia: Prevention of Harmful Practices Programme 2, https://www.unicef.org/ethiopia/media/9741/file/IVR%20Training%20Process%20Documentation.pdf (last visited Oct. 16, 2025).
[2] UNICEF, Ethiopia Case Study: Review of Technology-Based Interventions to Address Child Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation 1 (2023), https://www.unicef.org/media/137576/file/Tech-based-Interventions-Adress-Harmful-Practices-2023-Ethiopia-v2.pdf [hereinafter Interventions].
[3] Getinet et al., supra note 1, at 3.
[4] Id. at 4.
[5] Id.
[6] Id. at 3.
[7] Id.
[8] See Ruth Regassa, Interactive Voice Recording: An Innovative Approach to Empower Girls to End Harmful Practices, UNICEF (Mar. 9, 2022), https://www.unicef.org/ethiopia/stories/interactive-voice-recording#:~:text=Burtukan’s%20effort%20to%20support%20other,the%20risk%20of%20COVID%2D19.
[9] See id.
[10] Getinet et al., supra note 1, at 6.
[11] See Child Marriage and Female Circumcision (FGM/C): Evidence from Ethiopia, Young Lives Policy Brief 21, at 2 (Dec. 2014), https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:70808644-dee9-408c-9162-de0ec3f317b8/files/m7e11c2c88524ed533144715fa7a96702.
[12] See id.
[13] Id. at 2.
[14] Id.
[15] Id.
[16] See UNICEF, National Costed Roadmap to End Child Marriage and FGM/C 2020-2024 11 (Aug. 2019), https://www.unicef.org/ethiopia/media/1781/file/National%20Roadmap%20to%20End%20Child%20Marriage%20and%20FGM.pdf [hereinafter National Costed Roadmap].
[17] Child Marriage and Female Circumcision (FGM/C): Evidence from Ethiopia, supra note 11, at 1.
[18] National Costed Roadmap, supra note 16, at 14; Eth. Crim. Code art. 565.
[19] Const. of The Fed. Democratic Republic of Eth., Aug. 21, 1995, art. 35, § 4.
[20] Const. of The Fed. Democratic Republic of Eth., art. 34, 36.
[21] See Eth. Crim. Code art. 566(1).
[22] See id.
[23] National Costed Roadmap, supra note 16, at 31.
[24] Getinet et al., supra note 1, at 8.
[25] See id.
[26] Id.
[27] Id. at 9.
[28] Id.
[29] Getinet et al., supra note 1, at 11.
[30] Id.
[31] Interventions, supra note 2, at 5.
[32] See id.
[33] Id.
[34] Getinet et al., supra note 1, at 13.
[35] See id.
[36] National Costed Roadmap, supra note 16, at 13.
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