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FGM in Kenya Is a Trend That Has Been Documented, Particularly Among the Kisii

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FGM in Kenya Is a Trend That Has Been Documented, Particularly Among the Kisii 1 | P a g e 2 | P a g e CONTENTS FOREWORD 4 BACKGROUND 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 INTRODUCTION 9 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 10 INTRODUCTION TO FGM 11 NATIONAL STATISTICS 12 POLITICAL BACKGROUND 15 1 ANTHROPOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 16 COUNTRYWIDE TABOOS AND MORES 16 SOCIOLOGICAL BACKGROUND 17 HEALTHCARE SYSTEM 17 EDUCATION 18 RELIGION 18 MEDIA 19 FGM PRACTICES IN KENYA 20 REASONS FOR PRACTISING FGM 26 RELIGION AND FGM 26 WOMEN’S HEALTH AND INFANT MORTALITY 27 EDUCATION AND FGM 27 AGE 28 PUBLIC ATTITUDES TO FGM 29 LAWS RELATING TO FGM 31 INTERVENTIONS AND ATTEMPTS TO ERADICATE FGM 33 CHALLENGES FACED BY ANTI-FGM INITIATIVES 44 CONCLUSIONS 44 APPENDIX – LIST OF INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS 46 REFERENCES 48 3 | P a g e FOREWORD North East Kenya in 2008, with over 250,000 Somali IDPs. This led to my research paper that was published in March 2012 (Wilson, 2012). In organisations, annual appraisals, and monitoring and evaluation reports show a measure Having seen first-hand over 10 years the trauma, of progress towards a goal. With an aim to pain and health consequences of FGM, I am eliminate a harmful traditional practice such as pleased 28 Too Many has been able to undertake FGM, which has been in existence across Africa for this research and see progress. The photograph over 2000 years, it is hard to assess measures of below shows a Maasai community that used to progress. practise FGM but has now abandoned it. This was due to two older girls attending school and joining This country report on FGM across Kenya shows a health club. They then ran away to avoid FGM, FGM in 15- to 49-year-olds reducing from 37.6% and as they were reunited with their parents via an (1998) to 32.2% (2003) to 27.1% (2008-9). This is aunt and a grandma, they educated their measurable progress and around 10% over 10 community on the harm caused by FGM. Since years. However, measuring changes in attitudes then, no girl has been cut for seven years. and belief is difficult, and there is still much to do. This community experience helps me see how FGM affects the physical and psychological change can happen. We are always seeking new health of girls and women; decreases their partners, FGM collaborators, research volunteers attendance and performance at school; fails to and donors to help us end FGM across Africa and meet their gender equality rights; and risks their the diaspora. My dream is that a women does not lives at the time of FGM, at marriage and during cut her daughter; then as a mother that daughter childbirth. FGM affects up to 3 million girls a year – does not cut her own daughter; and as a one every 10 seconds. On behalf of them, we have grandmother, that she will not cut her created this charity, 28 Too Many, to speak out and granddaughter/others in the community, and over engage with the global campaign to end FGM. 3 generations (36 years) major change can happen; FGM also has a relationship with other issues over 5 generations (60 years) FGM could be such as girls not completing their education and eradicated. Meanwhile, 28 Too Many plans to having poor literacy; early or arranged marriage; create reports on the 28 countries in Africa as a the spread of HIV/AIDS; and poor access to physical resource tool to the FGM and development sector, health and psychological healthcare. government, media and academia. With your partnership, we can make these useful and often- FGM is practised for a variety of reasons – accessed reports that share good practice. sometimes at a certain age or alternatively as a rite of passage; often at puberty, which is a time of Dr Ann-Marie Wilson vulnerability and change. Many young women are 28 Too Many Executive Director © 28 Too Many 2013 affected by HIV/AIDS and many others marry early, which leads to early childbirth, with resulting complications for many of obstetric fistula. Having first visited Kenya in 2003, I have seen significant change in many development indicators in the dozen trips I have made there. It was in 2005 that I first came across FGM, whilst working in North Sudan and then working in an Internally Displaced People (IDP) Camp in Dadaab, 4 | P a g e BACKGROUND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 28 Too Many is an anti-female genital mutilation 28 Too Many is extremely grateful for all the (FGM) charity, created to end FGM in the 28 FGM-practising communities, local NGOs, CBOs, African countries where it is practised and in other faith-based organisations, international organisations, countries across the world where members of multilateral agencies, and members of government those communities have migrated. Founded in and media in Kenya who have assisted us in 2010 and registered as a charity in 2012, 28 Too accessing information to produce this report. We Many aims to provide a strategic framework, thank you, as it would not have been possible where knowledge and tools enable in-country anti- without your assistance and collaboration. 28 Too FGM campaigners and organisations to be Many carried out all its work as a result of successful and make a sustainable change to end donations, and is an independent, objective voice FGM. We hope to build an information base, not being affiliated to any government or large including providing detailed reports for each organisation. That said, we are grateful to the country practising FGM in Africa and the diaspora, many international organisations that have and develop a network of anti-FGM organisations supported us so far on our journey and the to share knowledge, skills and resources. We also donations that enabled this report to be produced. campaign and advocate locally and internationally Please contact us on [email protected]. to bring change and support community programmes to end FGM. THE TEAM Producing a report such as this is a collaborative PURPOSE process. We are very grateful to the following key contributors: The prime purpose of this report is to provide improved understanding of the issues relating to Katherine Allen is a research intern for 28 Too FGM in the wider framework of gender equality Many and a DPhil (PhD) student in the history of and social change. By providing a country profile medicine and science at the University of Oxford. collating the research to date, this report can act as a benchmark to profile the current situation. As Kelly Denise is a research volunteer for 28 Too organisations send us their findings, reports, tools Many who has lived and worked in Kenya and and models of change, we can update these Uganda for over 2 years. reports and show where progress is being made. Whilst there are many challenges to overcome Vanessa Diakides is a research volunteer for 28 before FGM is eradicated in Kenya, many Too Many and is studying an MA in Women and programmes are making positive, active change Child Abuse at the Child and Women Abuse Studies and government legislation offers a useful base Unit (CWASU) at London Metropolitan University. platform for deterring FGM practice. Johanna Waritay is research coordinator for 28 USE OF THIS REPORT Too Many. Prior to this, she worked for 13 years as a lawyer at a leading international law firm in Extracts from this publication may be freely London. She has carried out research in three reproduced, provided the due acknowledgement is countries that practice FGM in the last year. given to the source and 28 Too Many. 28 Too Many Ann-Marie Wilson founded 28 Too Many and is invites comments on the content, suggestions on its executive director. She has travelled to Kenya how it could be improved as an information tool, many times over the last 11 years and published and seeks updates on the data and contact details. 5 | P a g e her paper this year on ‘Can lessons be learnt from eradicating footbinding in China and applied to abandoning female genital mutilation in Somalia? A critical evaluation of the possibilities offered for developing strategies to expand current promising practice’ in the Journal of Gender Studies. Rooted Support Ltd – For donating their time through its director Nich Bull in the design and layout of this report, www.rootedsupport.co.uk. We are grateful to the rest of the 28 Too Many Team, who have helped in many ways. Photograph on front cover: Samburu girls ready for wedding – Kenya © www.lafforgue.com LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ARP – Alternative Rites of Passage CBO – Community-Based Organisation DHS – Demographic Health Survey FGM – Female Genital Mutilation GBV – Gender-based violence MDG – Millennium Development Goal NGO – Non-Governmental Organisation WHO – World Health Organization 6 | P a g e EXECUTIVE SUMMARY In Kenya, according to the most recent Demographic Health Survey (DHS), the estimated prevalence of FGM in girls and women (aged 15-49 years) is 27.1% (DHS 2008-09). This represents a steady decrease from 37.6% in 1998, and 32.2% in 2003. There are significant regional variations, with prevalence ranges from 0.8% in the west to over 97% in the north-east (DHS 2008-09). Kenya has great ethnic and cultural diversity, as reflected in the differing rates of FGM across the ethnic groups, as well as the type of FGM performed and the underlying reasons for practising it. Somalis, who live predominantly in the North Eastern province, practise FGM at a rate of 97.7%, with 75% having undergone the most severe, infibulation (Type III). The next-highest prevalence is found among the Kisii (also known as the Abagussi or Gusii), at 96.1%, and the Maasai, at 73.2%.
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