By Atieno Olang
Female Genital Mutilation and its perceived value, myth and implication on human rights, gender & development is not a new concept to many however it is imperative to acknowledge that some cultures in the country still practice it as part of their cultural right. The practice of FGM has been on a steady decline for the past 10 years witnessing a 15% drop as of the Kenya Demographic Health Survey Report of 2022 in comparison to eons ago. Though this is something worth celebrating much still needs to be done due to the constant claims concerning the unreported cases.
Particularly for the Kuria community, FGM is normalized to an extent the girls themselves advocate for it. A myriad of negative cultural stereotypes as opined by cultural dictates were not limited to uncircumcised girls cannot be married, uncircumcised married woman would not be allowed to open the main gate. If this happened then people in the home would die also, uncircumcised married women should not go to other wives’ vegetable gardens, as it would make the vegetables dry up. Lastly, it was believed that uncircumcised women must be cut when giving birth during the first delivery or else the child dies.
Teenage girls often feel pressured to succumb to these societal norms in order to feel more in tune with the clan. With the practice serving as an initiation rite from childhood to adulthood, adolescent girls get married off with the assumption that they are women, this resulting to school dropout and unwanted pregnancies. This practice is a blatant abuse and violation of human rights, reproductive and sexual rights. Invasion of the bodily integrity of the child and the women contravenes the children’s act of 2022, UDHR of 1945, and sexual offences act of 2006.
Apart from reinforcing gender stereotypes and devaluation of the female gender into purely domestic roles, FGM has been in most instances have led to excessive bleeding resulting to death, permanent injuries like keloids and sexual transmitted infections if not undertaken in a medical facility. Further to this, studies have shown that the process denies women to enjoy their sexual pleasures during intercourse.
During these 16 days of Gender Activism, relevant stakeholders need to maximize heavily on community dialogues through a behavior change communication approach to invoke thought processes that shift mindsets to influence positive cultural practices. The fight against teenage pregnancies, Sexual Gender Based Violence and child marriages must start with a fight against female genital Mutilation for the Kuria Community.
Atieno Olang, NAYA Kenya, SAIC II.
