Send girls in Kenya at risk to FGM to school

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta recently pledged to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the country by the end of his tenure in 2022, just eight months away! The African Union has long considered FGM to be a human rights violation against girls and women, but the practice is still done as a rite of passage in some African cultures.

Amref is in a great position to help make this pledge come true! Throughout the pandemic, we were able to keep having meetings on a family level to continue to educate elders and leaders on the dangers of FGM and child marriage. We met women like Nashipai, a former Ngariba (cutter) whose sole income came from doing the cut. After learning about its harmful effects, she vowed to stop the practice and advocate to help see that it ends. We also met men like Luka, who is encouraging other men to stand up for girls after learning about the damaging long-term effects of the practice. As restrictions lift, we will continue to promote Alternative Rites of Passage (ARPs) in Kenya and surrounding areas like Uganda, Senegal, and Ethiopia, which have seen a combined decrease in the practice by 24%.

While we were able to keep most of our girls safe during the pandemic, the fears of being cut and forced into marriages were a very real threat for them as their families faced economic hardships or traditional pressures. Our staff is trained to help them process and overcome the traumas endured throughout the pandemic and any PTSD they may have if they witnessed a friend or relative experience FGM during this period.

We can have a world without FGM by 2030.

We can help Kenya have a country without FGM by next year.

People change when they know better. We believe that change must come from the communities themselves. That’s why we build connections with communities, elders, and leaders to bring awareness to the adverse effects of FGM.

We can still celebrate the cultural transition to womanhood, alternatively.