This report draws on findings from a mixed-methods baseline assessment that explored the patterning and drivers of child marriage and FGM/C in Afar and Somali regions, to identify possible entry points to fast-track change for girls, their families and communities. The
baseline is part of a longitudinal research evaluation that includes three rounds of data collection in 2022, 2024and 2025. The research team is led by the Gender and adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) programme and ODI in partnership with researchers at Addis Ababa
University and Quest Consulting. The team includes researchers from Afar and Somali regions.

The quantitative sample includes 2,042 households, split equally between Afar and Somali. In each region, data were collected in 9 kebeles (communities) where programming will be implemented, and 9 kebeles that will receive no programming. In each household (HH), a caregiver and an adolescent between the ages of 10 and 19 were surveyed. The qualitative sample includes a sub-sample of adolescents (n=295) and their caregivers (n=166) who participated in individual and group interviews, as well as key informant interviews (n=84) with regional and district-level government officials, clan and religious leaders, and service providers.