Elgeyo Marakwet, Kenya: There is an emerging trend that is seeing an increase in the number of married women undergoing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).
Woman Rep Dr Susan Chebet said perpetrators have devised ingenious ways of circumcising these women with the cut often being administered during childbirth so as not to arouse suspicion.
“This is a worrying new trend where newly married women are coerced to undergo FGM by older married women who still value the retrogressive practise,” she said.
The woman rep was speaking at Bugar trading centre during the annual zero tolerance to FGM campaign organised by World Vision.
She said in the past two years, over 20 married women have been subjected to the cut adding that in Bugar, Keiyo North, seven women were rounded up and circumcised.
MORE EFFORT
“The experience is traumatising and does not add value to the women. We therefore need to empower them on enriching the mind and not causing bodily harm,” the legislator said.
Dr Chebet noted that despite the area recording a significant drop in FGM cases, more still needs to be done so as to eliminate the vice and warned that perpetrators face arrest and prosecution.
“Whenever a girl undergoes circumcision in Keiyo, her father holds a special feast in her honour and this makes other girls also want to experience the same hence opt for the cut,” she said.
“Compared to other regions Elgeyo Marakwet stands at less than 30 per cent FGM prevalence rate due to increased sensitisation by lobby groups and my Tumdo nee Lel initiative meaning Alternative rite of passage which champions for abandonment of the practice,” she said
The woman rep said her alternative rite of passage curriculum has trained more 6,000 girls on empowerment, highlighting issues to do with health care and moral ethics as well as progressing their careers.
“Our target is young girls between the ages of 9-20 and so far we have been successful in rescuing many who run away from the cut,” she said.
The Standard Group Plc is a
multi-media organization with investments in media platforms spanning newspaper
print operations, television, radio broadcasting, digital and online services. The
Standard Group is recognized as a leading multi-media house in Kenya with a key
influence in matters of national and international interest.
join