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UNICEF: FGM and Child Marriage Among Selected Communities In Baseline Study Report Baseline Study Report Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting and Child Marriage among the Rendille, Maasai, Pokot, Samburu and Somali Communities in Kenya Baseline Study Report: Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting and Child Marriage among the Rendille, Maasai, Pokot, Samburu and Somali Communities in Kenya ©United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Nairobi, 2017 UNICEF Kenya Office P.O. Box 44145-00100 GPO Nairobi Prepared by Information Research Solutions Lantana Court, Ground Floor Lantana Road, Off Rhapta Road P.O. Box 1282 – 00606 Westlands, Nairobi, Kenya Tel: +254 (020) 24 830 16/26 Email address: [email protected] Website: www.iresearchsolutions.com Edited 2017 by Adam Woolf For further information, please contact: Patrizia Di Giovanni, UNICEF Kenya Deputy Representative: [email protected] Lisa Kurbiel, Chief of Communication: [email protected] Aminul Islam, Child Protection Specialist: [email protected] Haithar Somo, Child Protection Specialist:[email protected] Cover photograph: ©UNICEF/KENA00454/Noorani Baseline Study Report Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting and Child Marriage among the Rendille, Maasai, Pokot, Samburu and Somali Communities in Kenya Baseline Study Report Foreword In recognition that Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is not only a harmful practice but a violation of human rights, Kenya has adopted a robust legal framework. The country has ratified several international legal instruments that have become part of the Kenyan law as provided for in Article 2 of the constitution. Further to the provisions of the constitution, the government has enacted the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act, 2011. The law provides the framework for public engagement and advocacy for accelerating the eradication of FGM. The Children’s Act, 2001, S (14) criminalizes subjecting a child to harmful cultural practices. This provision of statute gives parents the responsibility of ensuring the safety and security of the child. The Penal Code, Chapter 63, also provides offences under which the circumcisers can be charged. The Protection against Domestic Violence Act, 2015 classifies FGM as violence. The Act provides for protective measures for survivors and victims of domestic violence including FGM. The Vision 2030 and the second Medium Term Plan (MTP II) for the period 2013-2017 both address FGM, under the Gender, Youth and Vulnerable Groups sector of the social pillar. MTP II targets the creation of public awareness campaigns for the eradication of FGM and the creation of a critical mass at the same time. As part of the response plan to FGM, Anti-FGM Board in collaboration with relevant stakeholders including UNICEF and other partners, continue to strengthen the base for evidence as a matter of having a sound and an informed programming at national and county level. The baseline report is incredibly thorough, systematically arranged on topical issues surrounding FGM as well as it is based on a logical methodology. It is my hope that this baseline study report on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting and Child Marriage among the Rendille, Maasai, Pokot, Samburu and Somali Communities in Kenya will provide much understanding to relevant policy makers, programme planners and community members on FGM trends, analysis, knowledge, attitudes, behaviour and practices of all the five selected communities. This baseline report must translate to a sound and an informed based programming in all the five selected counties so the cited area/communities’ specific prevalence are reduced. To achieve that the Anti-FGM Board will continue to support and coordinate FGM programmes in Kenya. We thank UNICEF for this great initiative and collaboration with the anti-FGM Board. The board will continue working with other partners to undertake baseline survey in counties that have not been covered by this report. The Anti-FGM Board in collaboration with donor agencies and other development partners are committed to the protection of girls from undergoing FGM. Yours Sincerely, Bernadette Loloju Chief Executive Officer Anti-FGM Board. iii Acknowledgements This baseline study report on female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and child marriage among the Rendille, Maasai, Pokot, Samburu and Somali communities in Kenya is the outcome of extensive interviews and discussions with community members— including community leaders, representatives of young people and women in the target sub-counties and divisions, national government ministries, departments and agencies, county government ministries and departments, local and international non-governmental organizations, faith-based organizations and community-based organizations. Our gratitude goes to all who contributed to the baseline study, including various stakeholders, such as the national government and county authorities, chiefs and assistant chiefs, community leaders, religious leaders, community organizations (including women’s organizations and youth groups), traditional birth attendants, traditional circumcisers, and international and local organizations including child protection working groups and UNICEF’s partners—who provided valuable feedback and shared their strategies, experiences and challenges in the campaign against FGM/C and child marriage. UNICEF recognizes the contribution of all other stakeholders not specifically mentioned here. The work of the consultants, Information Research Solutions (IRS), under the leadership of Mr. Tobias Odhiambo and supported by Mr. George Otieno and Mr. David Kamau, is duly recognized. Finally, special thanks go to those who worked long hours to provide essential administrative and technical support to ensure the successful completion of this exercise, including everyone who provided valuable comments around the report, and those whose wisdom is incorporated in it. Werner Schultink Representative, UNICEF Kenya iv Baseline Study Report Contents Abbreviations xii Executive summary xiv Chapter 1: Baseline study background 1 1.1 Introduction 1 1.2 Purpose and objectives of the baseline study 2 1.3 Scope of the baseline study 3 Chapter 2: Methodology 5 2.1 Baseline study process 5 2.2 Survey design 7 2.3 Sample coverage and respondent characteristics 12 2.4 Data analysis 16 2.5 Training 16 2.6 Ethical considerations 16 2.7 Limitations of the survey 20 Chapter 3: Study findings 23 3.1 Global, regional and national status of female genital mutilation/cutting 23 3.2 Female genital mutilation/cutting 28 3.2.1 Knowledge, practice, perceptions and experiences of FGM/C 28 3.2.1.1 Prevalence of FGM/C and age of undergoing FGM/C 28 3.2.1.2 Reasons for practising FGM/C 36 3.2.1.3 Awareness of risks of FGM/C 42 3.2.1.4 Knowledge of the prohibition on FGM/C in Kenya 45 3.2.1.5 Belief that other girls and women will undergo FGM/C in the future 49 3.2.1.6 Perceived changes in the practice of FGM/C 62 3.2.2 Current trends in the practice of FGM/C 66 3.2.2.1 Type of FGM/C performed 66 3.2.2.2 Performance of FGM/C 70 3.2.2.3 Intention to have daughters undergo FGM/C 75 3.2.2.4 Age at undergoing FGM/C and marriage 77 3.2.2.5 Support for continuation of FGM/C 81 3.3 Child marriage 87 3.3.1 Prevalence of child marriage 90 3.3.2 Practice, perceptions and experiences of child marriage 93 3.3.2.1 Reasons for practising child marriage 93 3.3.2.2 Awareness of risks of child marriage 98 v 3.3.2.3 Knowledge of prohibition of child marriage in Kenya and support for continuation of child marriage 103 3.3.2.4 Age at marriage 110 3.3.2.5 Belief that other girls and women will get married in the future 112 3.3.2.6 Perceived changes in the practice of child marriage 116 3.4 Influence of border communities on the continuity and prevalence of harmful practices 119 3.4.1 Introduction 119 3.4.2 Accessing FGM/C services 120 3.4.3 Birth registration in the study locations 124 3.4.4 Existing laws to address female genital mutilation/cutting and child marriage and their enforcement 125 3.4.5 Source of information of female genital mutilation/cutting and child marriage 128 Chapter 4: Conclusions and recommendations 129 4.1 Survey conclusions 129 4.2 Survey recommendations 130 References 132 Annex I: Stakeholder mapping 135 Annex II: Estimates of sampling errors for selected indicators of interest 142 Tables Table 1: Focus group sample achieved 8 Table 2: Distribution of EAs in target sub-counties/divisions 9 Table 3: Sample allocation of EAs, households and eligible household members 11 Table 4: Sample coverage 13 Table 5: Respondent characteristics of surveyed girls and women aged 10–49 and boy and men aged 15–49 14 Table 6: Ethical issues encountered during pre-test exercise and data collection and accompanying solutions 18 Table 7: Challenges and mitigation strategies during pre-test and fieldwork proper 20 Table 8: FGM/C classification 23 Table 9: FGM/C prevalence rates across age cohorts by region 33 Table 10: FGM/C prevalence rates across age cohorts by ethnicity 33 Table 11: Proportion of uncircumcised girls and women aged under 18 that are likely to be circumcised 34 Table 12: Reasons provided by girls and women aged 10–49 for the practice of FGM/C in their respective communities by region (N=3,818) 37 Table 13: Reasons provided by girls and women aged 10–49 for the practice of FGM/C in their respective communities by ethnicity 38 Table 14: Reasons provided by boys and men for the practice of FGM/C in their respective communities by region 40 vi Baseline Study Report Table 15: Reasons provided by girls and women for the practice of FGM/C in their respective
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