Kenya: Fight against female genital mutilation an uphill task

Grade 5 is when it started, Agnes Ntimama reports. The first girls dropped out of school in Grade 5 and by Grade 8, there were none left. 

Instead, they got married. 

Agnes, a teacher, explains that most girls from her school in southwestern Kenya were forced to endure a harmful traditional practice known as female genital mutilation (FGM) by the age of 15. FGM is a cultural practice that involves cutting away one or several parts of the female genitalia.

“Once they undergo the cut, they are forced to get married since they are made to understand that they are now grown women,” Agnes says.

The procedure is usually carried out with rudimentary tools without anesthesia. It’s estimated that two out of every three girls still undergo FGM in Agnes’ community.

According to World Health Organisation, the health consequences are dire, including severe bleeding and problems urinating, and later, potential childbirth complications and newborn deaths. 

Communities that practice FGM maintain that it is a crucial part of a woman’s identity and a ticket for them to get married. 

Those who undergo the procedure are often rewarded with gifts, celebrations and public recognition. Those who don’t could face stigmatisation, social isolation or ‘difficulty in finding a husband’.

A shift in attitude

This year, there are girls in Grade 8. In fact, there are more girls than boys in Grade 8 in Agnes’ school.

A boarding facility at the school, constructed by World Vision in 2009, is serving as a rescue centre for girls fleeing from FGM and early marriage. 

“We are now seeing more girls uncircumcised, and the local schools are registering an increase in enrolment and retention of girls in primary schools,” observes Senewa Mesopirr, who heads a World Vision anti-FGM project. 

Through World Vision’s anti-FGM campaign, seminars and door-to-door campaigns on the dangers of the practice continue to be held across Kenya. Girls have an opportunity to interact with women who have not gone undergone FGM. These role models show the community that one can be successful and live a normal life even without undergoing FGM.

“I like being in school because I want to complete my education and become a doctor,” says 13-year-old Naipanoi Ntimama.

At the school, girls who are at risk of FGM receive temporary shelter. Once there, the local authorities are notified. 

Girls who are unable or unwilling to return home because they are worried someone may force them to undergo the practice get the help they need.

“In such a case we keep the girls here while we liaise with other anti-FGM agencies for assistance,” Agnes says.

Across Kenya, attitudes are changing. In 2011, the government enacted a law that bans FGM. People who are found guilty of breaking the law could be forced to serve a seven-year jail term and a 6,000 US dollar fine.

Fifteen-year-old Tusiampei Oyei says the boarding school has given her a chance to pursue her dream of finishing her education and becoming a pilot. 

“I wish all parents would abide by the law and say no to FGM. This would give their girls a chance to be what they want to be in life,” Tusiampei says.