Retire nurses, fear of curses complicate anti-FGM campaigns in Embu

Despite Kenya being one of the countries where FGM is prohibited, some communities still carry on the practice which put the girl child in awkward situation. [Photo by Denish Ochieng/Standard]

Retired nurses who circumcise girls and fear of curses has derailed the fight against female genital mutilation in Embu County.

Anti-FGM campaigners told The Standard that retired medics who perform the cut have made their work difficult because they assure victims that the operation was risk-free.

Opponents of the outlawed rite said that in previous years they would point out to parents and targeted girls that there was a risk of contracting HIV due to sharing of scalpels or razors.

“The campaign was successful then because most circumcisers were elderly women with few tools. Nowadays, retired nurses use modern surgical equipment and assure parents that there is no risk of infecting girls with diseases,” said an activist during a forum in Embu town yesterday.

Two retired medics have been arrested and arraigned in court in Embu where they were charged with illegally circumcising girls. The cases are ongoing.

The forum, which brought together stakeholders from health, education, administration, church, and NGOs, was told that some families were compelled to circumcise girls for fear of attracting a curse.

They said the fear of curses was difficult to overcome and called on the church to play a key role in changing people’s mindsets.

Another reason given was that of rise in teenage pregnancies. Parents who fear that their underage girls might engage in sex take them for circumcision, hoping to lower their libido.

But Agatha Muturi, a nurse and counsellor at the Embu Teaching and Referral Hospital, said the claim that FGM lowered the libido was just a myth. She explained that even circumcised teenage girls became pregnant. Players concurred that there was a need to hold anti-FGM campaigns throughout the year, even in classrooms and barazas, and not just when school holidays were approaching, a time when FGM is prevalent.

“A lot of action is needed to change the mindsets of people who believe that FGM is a significant cultural rite of passage,” said Ann Muthoni, a leading activist against FGM in Embu.