Local initiatives reduce Lamu FGM cases by over 90 pc
What you need to know:
- Boni and Orma communities have managed to drastically reduce Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) through locally-led initiatives.
- Extensive anti-FGM campaigns led by elders and local administrators have gone on in the affected villages, for the last three years, seeing a reduction of the practice by more than 90 per cent.
The Boni and Orma communities in Witu and Hindi divisions in Lamu West, have managed to drastically reduce Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) through locally-led initiatives.
The practice was rampant in Bulto, Dide Waride and Chalaluma in Witu and Bar’goni in Hindi, all in Lamu West.
Nation.africa has established that extensive anti-FGM campaigns led by elders and local administrators, have gone on in the affected villages, for the last three years, seeing a reduction of the practice by more than 90 per cent.
Chiefs, headmen and Nyumba Kumi officials in the affected villages said they sensitised the community in the rural areas on the negative implications of FGM.
Dide Waride Location Chief Abdi Bocha, said they targeted the traditional circumcisers by sponsoring and engaging them in alternative activities including milk vending, hawking of fish and selling vegetables.
“By doing so, we managed to keep the female surgeons busy and prevented them from conducting FGM. Most of the women are now successful businesspeople. Much of their concentration is now on how they will succeed in their business ventures,” said Mr Bocha.
Nyumba Kumi
Chalaluma Location Chief Hussein Dokota, said they also equipped the village heads and Nyumba Kumi officials with information on how to discourage the society against FGM.
The administrator said most FGM cases happened in secret, especially during school holidays. He said underground campaigns to sensitise the locals against the practice were intensified, enabling the community to change their perception towards the act.
“We’re happy FGM has now become a thing of the past in most of the affected villages. Even if it exists, it’s done in secret. Some people even sought the service outside Lamu, especially in Tana River County but the anti-FGM campaigns are also undertaking in that place. I believe in two or three years, the practice will be no more,” said Mr Dokota.
The administrator asked parents to desist from allowing their daughters undergo FGM saying it was a life-threatening practice and one that degraded the female members of the society.
“Most of the female circumcisions occur when schools are closed. Let’s do what we can to save these girls from undergoing such practices since they do nothing but ruin their lives and chance at having an education and better life,” said Mr Dokota.
Khalif Hiribae, an elder in Witu noted that the practice had resulted in increased school dropout and early marriages among girls.
Form of dowry
“I have witnessed many girls who undergo the FGM and end up dropping out of school and getting into arranged forced marriages. I am happy that today, many girls are attending school because the practice has totally been discouraged,” said Mr Hiribae.
Fatma Dhadho, an anti-FGM campaigner called on women and the community especially pastoralists, to stop looking at their daughters as tools to generate wealth in form of dowry.
She asked stakeholders to continue creating awareness on the perils of FGM and early forced marriages.
“As marginalised communities, we’ve lagged behind in so many aspects. Taking girls to school is considered time and resource wastage, and that’s why we’ve been concentrating on circumcising our girls and marrying them off instead of educating them,” said Ms Dhadho.
