The painful knife

Female Genital Mutilation has been a cultural practice for some of the Kenyan communities over decades but it’s time we all stood up and said “No to FGM”. Despite it being illegal, some people still practice it privately. In 2011, Kenya banned female genital mutilation by passing a law to make it illegal to practice FGM or to take someone abroad to be ‘cut’ famously known as the “ Prohibition of FGM Act”. Faith, a 10 year old girl (not her real name) told me of her story of how she went through the terrible ordeal of going through the knife.
‘‘When I closed school for the December holidays, I was told by my mum that we are to visit our aunt for the festive season. My aunt and my mum had planned it all leaving me in darkness .When we were at my auntie’s place; I was told that I would remain behind as mum left. After that, a strange woman visited our house and that’s when the aunt said that “I was going to be a big girl ’’

FGM is very painful, traumatizes girls and results in numerous negative health consequences that last for ages and can even cause death. This is a form of violence against girls that oppresses them and hence prevents the girls from fully participating in the nation’s progress.