Fight against female genital mutilation an uphill challenge

On hilly slopes, some 100 miles southwest of Kenya’s capital Nairobi, stands a primary school popularly known as ‘the school on the hill.’ It is here that a boarding facility, constructed by World Vision, is serving as a rescue centre for girls fleeing from female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and early marriage.

Started in 2009, the school offers temporary shelter to the girls while arrangements are made to apprehend their parents and report the violations to the area chief. Last year, the centre was hosting close to ten girls, while World Vision works in the community to teach parents and teachers about the harmful nature of the practice.

More than 70% of girls in this region of Kenya undergo FGM/C, according to a recent report by other organisations working in the area. FGM/C is a cultural practice that involves the cutting of the female genitalia and is mostly carried out on young girls between the ages of infancy and 15. The procedure is very painful and is carried out with rudimentary tools, like razor blades, without anaesthesia.

The health consequences of undergoing FGM/C are dire, and girls often suffer from severe bleeding and problems urinating, such as incontinence. Later the condition can cause potential complications in childbirth and even newborn deaths. Communities that practice FGM/C maintain that it is a crucial part of a girl’s identity, and is a key ritual needed to prepare them for marriage. Girls who undergo the procedure are often rewarded with gifts, celebrations and public recognition. Refusing to submit to the procedure can result in stigmatisation, social isolation and difficulty in finding a husband.

The impact of FGM/C on education is brutal as well. Within the region the combined effect of FGM/C and early marriage has greatly reduced the number of girls getting an education. Girls’ enrolment in schools has suffered, with many of them dropping out. “Most of these girls leave school from Year Five. Once they undergo the cut, they are forced to get married since they are made to understand that they are now grown women,” Agnes, the school’s deputy head teacher, notes.

At one point five years ago, there wasn’t a single girl in the community at school beyond Year Eight. They had all left school to get married.

Anti-FGM/C campaigns led by World Vision are now bearing fruit in the area. Seminars and door-to-door campaigns on the dangers of the practice have been held, which talk to parents, government officials, children, teachers and the community as a whole. Through the campaign young girls have an opportunity to interact with role models and women in the community who have refused to undergo FGM/C. The awareness campaign is slowly introducing the idea that one can be successful and live a normal life in the community even without undergoing FGM/C.

Thanks to the campaign, many girls are now beginning to resist pressure from their parents and peers. “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, one of the programme managers.

This is the case at the school on the hill as well, where the female students now outnumber boys. The promise of refuge, if necessary, and the boarding facility have been a major factor in keeping girls at school for longer. “I like being in school because I want to complete my education and become a doctor,” 13-year-old Naipanoi smiles.

Similarly, 15-year-old Tusiampei says that boarding at the school has given her a chance to pursue her dream of becoming a pilot. “I aspire to pass my primary school examinations, complete secondary education and join the university before I can start flying airplanes. I wish all parents would abide by the law and say no to FGM/C. This would give their girls a chance to be what they want to be in life.”

Her remarks follow an anti-FGM/C law enacted in Kenya over three years ago, in October 2011. The Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Law contains punitive penalties including a jail term of seven years and a fine of about £4,000 for anyone convicted of promoting FGM/C, however it is not yet fully enforced, and the school on the hill is still serving as a refuge for girls whose parents continue to follow traditional practices.

As part of Action 2015 (a global campaign created to raise the profile of Post-2015 Process) World Vision is campaigning to end violence against children in all its forms. Although discussed in conferences, this is not currently included in the new Sustainable Development Goals framework. For girls like Tusiampei and Naipanoi, continuing to push governments and leaders around the world to end FGM/C and early marriage may be the difference that allows them to achieve their goals.

You can read more about Action 2015 and World Vision’s campaign to include children at the heart of the Sustainable Development Goals here »