CRAFTING NEW PATH IN ENDING FGM

By DK 

County government officials, religious leaders, civil societies and opinion leaders from Isiolo have come together to chart new ways of accelerating eradication of female genital mutilation, FGM in the county. 

In a workshop that was organized by Horn of Africa Institute, an organization that works to improve the welfare of women and girls, the stakeholders took the time to discuss the ways that can be used to end the vice that has been deeply rooted among the pastoralists county. 

Pascalia Ogutu, the organization’s program administrator, said that the move is meant to chat the new ways of ending the practice and come up with a data that will guide the ways of fighting the retrogressive culture in the county and it’s neighbours. “We all have been talking of the awareness but we have not been having better strategies of fighting the FGM,” Ms Ogutu said. 

According to Ms Ogutu, the organization has since it’s inception impacted the lives of over 10,000 women in terms of knowing their rights and economic empowerment in it’s areas of operation.Isiolo Education, youth, gender, social services and sport CEC Kajuju Muungiria regretted that the target to end FGM by 2022 was not achieved, but reiterated the county government commitment to end the practice.

 “We have as department posted social development officers in every ward to sensitize leaders and everyone to eradicate FGM,” Ms Muungiria said.“Their responsibility is also to ensure that action is taken against anyone who is caught practicing heinous act,” She added. According to Muungiria, any gender based violence victim or a witness can call 1195, a toll free number, to report the case and necessary action will be taken.Anab Kasim, an activist, said that FGM was criminalized in 2011 and anyone practicing it is a law breaker. 

She called upon the stakeholders to embrace new ways of eradicating it.“In the past, for example, FGM was being done by women in the village, but now, it is done by medics. We should know how to approach it with that knowledge,” Anab said.Anab, opined that children need to be taught the dangers of the practice since they are young so that they can know the dangers of the same and avoid it. 

This was echoed by the Isiolo county chairman council of Imams and Muslim preachers Ret. Col Hassan Bonaya. This training workshop was made possible because of the support from our partners such as British Army Training Unit Kenya, Office of the women Representative Isiolo County and ActionAID.