Fighting female genital mutilation and child marriage
In Kenya, FOKUS works to combat female genital mutilation, child marriage and teenage pregnancies together with our partner and member organisations. A crucial pathway to end these severe human rights violations is increasing knowledge about the wide-ranging negative consequences of the practices.
Photo: Kakenya´s Dream
Globally, 230 million girls and women have been subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM). FGM is defined as all procedures that cause injury to, or alters for non-medical reasons, the female genitals. Genital mutilation is associated with intense pain, bleeding and, in the worst case, death. The practice can also lead to infections, chronic pain, sexual problems, psychological problems, complications during childbirth and increased risk of stillbirths.
Extreme gender discrimination and severe human rights violation
FGM is a harmful practice that violates women’s and girls’ human rights and constitutes an extreme form of gender discrimination. Harmful practices like female genital mutilation is often used to protect the “honour” of families and communities, and to control women and girls - in particular their bodies, sexuality and reproduction. In many contexts, the practice has traditionally been a precondition for marriage. This is the case among the Masai and Kuria peoples, among whom FOKUS’ local partners work.
Harmful practices such as female genital mutilation is often used to control women and girls - in particular their bodies, sexuality and reproduction.
Illegal, but still common
While the prohibition against FGM has an important normative function, it is crucial, when working to change norms, to employ a culturally sensitive approach and understand local conditions.
About a fourth of all Kenyan women have been subjected to a form of genital mutilation. Although the practice has been illegal since 2011, FGM is still common among the Masai and Kuria peoples in the Migori region. FOKUS supports programmes in this region so that the young girls of today won’t have to suffer the same horrifying experiences as their mothers.
Information and training decisive
Furthermore, the lack of training on sexual and reproductive health and rights for boys and girls sustains these rights violations. Topics such as reproductive health and menstruation are viewed as taboo, which contributes to higher prevalence of sexually transmittable diseases, teenage pregnancies, gender-based violence, educational underachievement and cyclical poverty across generations.
Girls subjected to genital mutilation are usually married off and get pregnant while still being children, which leads to ending their education before completing elementary school. The lack of information about the negative effects of this practice and the devaluation of girls’ education, combined with weak enforcement of the prohibition in rural areas, contributes to its continuation.
Mobilising whole communities
The programmes in Kenya are meant to prevent FGM and child marriage and increase knowledge on SRHR, and is a collaboration between FOKUS, member organisation Pan-African Women Association, and local partner organisations MICONTRAP-KENYA and Kakenya’s Dream. The projects involve girls and women, parents, young men, circumcisers, traditional midwives and other health personnel, traditional and religious leaders and local government representatives. A part of the programme targets districts on both sides of the border to Tanzania, where families send girls to undergo genital mutilation in order to avoid prosecution in their home country.
In Kenya, FOKUS works on:
