WUNRN
KENYA:
Girls Flee to Avoid FGM - Female Genital Mutilation
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Girls such as these are at great risk of FGM in several
districts in the country |
NAIROBI, 17 December
2008 (IRIN) - Hundreds of girls between seven and 17 are seeking refuge in
church compounds in western Kenya to avoid the ritual removal of their
clitorises, a practice that remains common despite its illegality.
"Local authorities must ensure that these girls are
not ostracised by the community and that their education is not
disrupted," Andrew Timpson, a senior protection officer for the UN
Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Kenya, told IRIN on 16 December.
Timpson made a field visit to Kuria East and Kuria West
districts in early December to examine the condition and protection needs of
340 girls who had fled their homes to avoid undergoing female genital
mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).
He said FGM/C was a major problem and that the 350 girls
who sought refuge at two churches were a small group. "It is possible that
several hundred girls aged 15 to 16 may have been circumcised."
The girls left their homes in late November and sought
sanctuary in two Swedish Maranatha Pentacostal mission stations – Gwikonge in
Kuria West and Komotobo in Kuria East.
Timpson said the girls were predominantly from Masaba,
Mabera and Kehancha divisions.
"The majority of the girls were brought to the
missions by their parents who resisted concerted pressure brought by their
communities, elders and grandparents to have their daughters circumcised,"
Timpson said. "However, there were at least 50 girls who were forced out
of their homes or who had fled to avoid forced circumcisions."
Although substantial work has been done to sensitise
girls and the community at large to the dangers of FGM, Timpson said, more
needed to be done to ensure that those who encourage the practice face the law
as it is contrary to Section 14 of the Children's Act.
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Anti-FGM
activists: Hundreds of girls between seven and 17 have sought refuge in
church compounds in Kuria to avoid the ritual |
Safety concerns
Ahmed Hussein, the director of children's services under
the Ministry of Gender, said the government and its partners had provided food
to last the girls two weeks.
"The district advisory council is doing everything
to ensure the girls are safe and consultations are ongoing to make sure that
they can resume learning when schools open," Hussein said. "We will
take the necessary measures to ensure their safe return home and to ensure
their learning continues."
Timpson said the District Officers should ensure the
girls are not beaten or circumcised when they return home "and the law
should be used to deal with errant fathers and community leaders".
Relief aid for the girls has been provided by the
government and agencies such as World Vision, the Maranatha Church and their
Swedish partners. Other involved in efforts promoting the abandonment of FGM/C
in the Kuria district include Action Aid, ADRA and GTZ/MOH and World Vision.
According to a UNICEF-commissioned study, the practice
is still prevalent in most of Kenya.
"Available evidence shows that female circumcision
is still common, particularly in rural areas and among women who have received
less education," according to the study, undertaken for UNICEF by Anne
Khasakhala of the University of Nairobi's Population Studies and Research
Institute.
One of the main reasons is the celebration and feasting
that accompanies the ceremony and the bride wealth brought during the marriage
negotiations, Khasakhala said.
FGM prevalence rates in the two Kuria districts range
between 75 and 90 percent, according to the study, with the age at circumcision
between 12 and 14.
"It appears that the community is still hiding
under history, tradition and cultures that state that the girl is likely to
become pregnant if she is not circumcised and that will bring shame to the
family," the study indicated, with stigmatisation of girls who do not
undergo FGM/C.
The study recommended that parents and the community be
educated so that girls who are not cut are not discriminated against.
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