COUNTRY PROFILE: FGM IN KENYA MAY 2013 Registered Charity : No. 1150379 Limited Company: No: 8122211 E-mail: [email protected] © 28 Too Many 2013 TABLE OF CONTENTS FORWARD 4 BACKGROUND 5 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 7 INTRODUCTION 9 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 10 INTRODUCTION TO FGM 11 NATIONAL STATISTICS 12 POLITICAL BACKGROUND 15 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 FORWORD East Kenya in 2008, with over 250,000 Somali IDPs. This led to my research paper that was published In organisations, annual appraisals and in March 2012 (Wilson, 2012). monitoring and evaluation reports show a measure of progress towards a goal. With an aim Having seen first-hand over 10 years the trauma, to eliminate a harmful traditional practice such as pain and health consequences of FGM, we are FGM which has been in existence across Africa for pleased 28 Too Many has been able to undertake over 2000 years, it is hard to assess measures of this research and see progress. The photograph progress. below shows a Maasai community that used to practice FGM but has now abandoned it. This This country report into FGM across Kenya was due to two older girls attending school and shows FGM in 15-49 year olds reducing from joining a health club. They then ran away to avoid 37.6% (1998) to 32.2% (2003) to 27.1% (2008-9). FGM, and as they were reunited with their parents This is measurable progress and around 10% over via an aunt and grandma, then educated their 10 years. However, measuring changes in attitudes community on the harm caused by FGM. Since and belief is difficult, and there is still much to do. then, no girl has been cut for seven years. FGM affects the physical and psychological This community experience helps me see how health of girls and women; decreases their change can happen. We are always seeking new attendance and performance at school; fails to partners, FGM collaborators, research volunteers meet their gender equality rights; and risks their and donors to help us end FGM across Africa lives at the time of FGM, at marriage and during and the diaspora. My dream is that a women childbirth. FGM affects up to 3 million girls a year, does not cut her daughter; then as a mother one every 10 seconds. On behalf of them, we that daughter does not cut her own daughter; have created this charity, 28 Too Many, to speak and as a grandmother, that she will not cut her out and engage with the global campaign to end granddaughter/others in the community, and FGM. over 3 generations (36 years) major change can FGM also has a relationship with other issues happen; over 5 generations (60 years) FGM could such as girls not completing their education and be 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 health care. government, media and academia. With your partnership, we can make these useful and often FGM is practised for a variety of reasons – accessed reports which share good practice. sometimes at a certain age or alternatively as a Dr Ann-Marie Wilson rite of passage, often at puberty which is a time 28 Too Many Executive Director of vulnerability and change. Many young women © 28 Too Many 2013 are 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 worked in an Internally Displaced People (IDP) Camp in Dadaab, North PAGE | 4 BACKGROUND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 28 Too Many is an anti-female genital mutilation 28 Too Many is extremely grateful for all the FGM (FGM) charity, created to end FGM in the 28 practising communities, local NGOs, CBOs, faith- African countries where it is practised and in based organisations, international organisations, other countries across the world where members multilateral agencies, members of government and of those communities have migrated. Founded media in Kenya, who have assisted us in accessing in 2010, and registered as a charity in 2012, 28 information to produce this report. We thank you, Too Many aims to provide a strategic framework, as it would not have been possible without your where knowledge and tools enable in-country assistance and collaboration. 28 Too Many carried anti-FGM campaigners and organisations to be out all its work as a result of donations, and is an successful and make a sustainable change to independent objective voice not being affiliated end FGM. We hope to build an information base to any government or large organisations. That including providing detailed reports for each said, we are grateful to the many international country practising FGM in Africa and the diaspora, organisations that have supported us so far on and develop a network of anti-FGM organisations our journey and the donations that enabled this to share knowledge, skills and resources. We also report to be produced. Please contact us on campaign and advocate locally and internationally [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 The prime purpose of this report is to provide contributors: improved understanding of the issues relating to FGM in the wider framework of gender equality Katherine Allen is a Research Intern for 28 Too and social change. By providing a country profile, Many and a DPhil (PhD) student in the history of collating the research to date, this report can act medicine and science at the University of Oxford. as a benchmark to profile the current situation. Kelly Denise is a Research Volunteer for 28 Too As organisations send us their findings, reports, Many who has lived and worked in Kenya and tools 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 before FGM is eradicated in Kenya, many 28 Too Many and is studying an MA in Women programmes are making positive active change and Child Abuse at the Child and Women Abuse and government legislation offers a useful base Studies Unit (CWASU) at London Metropolitan platform for deterring FGM practice. University. USE OF THIS REPORT Johanna Waritay is Research Coordinator for 28 Extracts from this publications may be freely Too Many. Prior to this, she worked for 13 years reproduced, provided the due acknowledgement as a lawyer at a leading international law firm in is given to the source and 28 Too Many. 28 London. She has carried out research in three Too Many invites comments on the content, countries that practice FGM in the last year. suggestions on how it could be improved as an Ann-Marie Wilson founded 28 Too many and is information tool, and seeks updates on the data its Executive Director. She has travelled to Kenya and contacts details. many times over the last 11 years and published PAGE | 5 her paper this year on ‘Can lessons by 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 Organisation PAGE | 6 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 practice FGM at a rate of 97.7%, with 75% having undergone the most severe Type III infibulation. 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%.