International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting

As the world commemorate the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, young Maria (not her real name) from Kipsing location of Laikipia District in Kenya ran away from her real parents who wanted her circumcised at an early age of five.

She was later to be married off a Samburu Moran for ten heads of cattle. The Moran, seven times older than Maria, had already marked her with a beaded necklace showing that she was engaged.

She was the youngest among ten young girls who were rescued by a child right activist.

Each of the other nine girls has a story to tell. A story that will be hard to erase from their minds the rest of their lives as they have already been cursed away from the community the rest of their lives.

In Nyeri, a 20 year old Samburu girl is fighting for her life after a serious miscarriage following a condition called Obstetric fistula. According to the hospital doctors, the condition is a result of early age FGM/C. She lost her child and has no chance of bearing her own child in future as her womb has already collapsed.

This is the way of life to many communities in Kenya and the government will be reflecting some of these issues this year during the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting.

The International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting is a UN day that is observed on February 6, every year. The objective of the day is to create awareness on the practice and seek greater support of the elimination of FGM/C. The day was adopted following the conference of the Inter African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (IAC) held on February 6, 2003.

Mrs. Stella Obasanjo, the First lady of Nigeria , made the official declaration on “Zero Tolerance to GFM/C.” in Africa during the meeting.

In Kenya FGM/C is recognized as a national issue and a violation of the basic rights of women and girls. Only five communities out of 42 in Kenya do not practice FGM/C; Pokomo, Turkana, Teso, Luhya and Luo according to a report from Kenya ministry of Gender, Children and Social development.
In Africa for instance, 28 sub-Saharan countries practice FGM/C where national prevalence rates ranges from 5 percent in Democratic Republic of Congo to 98 percent in Somali.
FGM/C has been condemned globally and the world Health Organization estimates that about 100 – 140 million girls and women have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting worldwide and more than 3 million girls are at risk annually.
FGM/C contravenes the convention on the Rights of The child which classifies it as the cruelest and severest form of torture against girls and young women.
There are various reasons given for the practice of FGM/C in Kenya . Some communities regard FGM/C as a rite of passage overlooking some of the tragic consequences on women and girls. These include girls dropping out of school to get married or being forcibly married off since culturally they are considered ‘ripe’ for marriage.
Others misinterpret it to be a religious practice. This is despite the fact that the child has not consented to this process and has no way of comprehending the magnitude of the process, defending herself or seeking for redress.
Culturally, once the initiation is over, the girls are allegedly accepted as full members of the society and are eligible for marriage.
It has also been noted that FGM/C results in emotional and sexual damage.

As the world commemorate the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, young Maria (not her real name) from Kipsing location of Laikipia District in Kenya ran away from her real parents who wanted her circumcised at an early age of five.

She was later to be married off a Samburu Moran for ten heads of cattle. The Moran, seven times older than Maria, had already marked her with a beaded necklace showing that she was engaged.

She was the youngest among ten young girls who were rescued by a child right activist.

Each of the other nine girls has a story to tell. A story that will be hard to erase from their minds the rest of their lives as they have already been cursed away from the community the rest of their lives.

In Nyeri, a 20 year old Samburu girl is fighting for her life after a serious miscarriage following a condition called Obstetric fistula. According to the hospital doctors, the condition is a result of early age FGM/C. She lost her child and has no chance of bearing her own child in future as her womb has already collapsed.

This is the way of life to many communities in Kenya and the government will be reflecting some of these issues this year during the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting.

The International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting is a UN day that is observed on February 6, every year. The objective of the day is to create awareness on the practice and seek greater support of the elimination of FGM/C. The day was adopted following the conference of the Inter African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (IAC) held on February 6, 2003.

Mrs. Stella Obasanjo, the First lady of Nigeria , made the official declaration on “Zero Tolerance to GFM/C.” in Africa during the meeting.

In Kenya FGM/C is recognized as a national issue and a violation of the basic rights of women and girls. Only five communities out of 42 in Kenya do not practice FGM/C; Pokomo, Turkana, Teso, Luhya and Luo according to a report from Kenya ministry of Gender, Children and Social development.
In Africa for instance, 28 sub-Saharan countries practice FGM/C where national prevalence rates ranges from 5 percent in Democratic Republic of Congo to 98 percent in Somali.
FGM/C has been condemned globally and the world Health Organization estimates that about 100 – 140 million girls and women have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting worldwide and more than 3 million girls are at risk annually.
FGM/C contravenes the convention on the Rights of The child which classifies it as the cruelest and severest form of torture against girls and young women.
There are various reasons given for the practice of FGM/C in Kenya . Some communities regard FGM/C as a rite of passage overlooking some of the tragic consequences on women and girls. These include girls dropping out of school to get married or being forcibly married off since culturally they are considered ‘ripe’ for marriage.
Others misinterpret it to be a religious practice. This is despite the fact that the child has not consented to this process and has no way of comprehending the magnitude of the process, defending herself or seeking for redress.
Culturally, once the initiation is over, the girls are allegedly accepted as full members of the society and are eligible for marriage.
It has also been noted that FGM/C results in emotional and sexual damage.

As the world commemorate the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, young Maria (not her real name) from Kipsing location of Laikipia District in Kenya ran away from her real parents who wanted her circumcised at an early age of five.

She was later to be married off a Samburu Moran for ten heads of cattle. The Moran, seven times older than Maria, had already marked her with a beaded necklace showing that she was engaged.

She was the youngest among ten young girls who were rescued by a child right activist.

Each of the other nine girls has a story to tell. A story that will be hard to erase from their minds the rest of their lives as they have already been cursed away from the community the rest of their lives.

In Nyeri, a 20 year old Samburu girl is fighting for her life after a serious miscarriage following a condition called Obstetric fistula. According to the hospital doctors, the condition is a result of early age FGM/C. She lost her child and has no chance of bearing her own child in future as her womb has already collapsed.

This is the way of life to many communities in Kenya and the government will be reflecting some of these issues this year during the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting.

The International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting is a UN day that is observed on February 6, every year. The objective of the day is to create awareness on the practice and seek greater support of the elimination of FGM/C. The day was adopted following the conference of the Inter African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (IAC) held on February 6, 2003.

Mrs. Stella Obasanjo, the First lady of Nigeria , made the official declaration on “Zero Tolerance to GFM/C.” in Africa during the meeting.

In Kenya FGM/C is recognized as a national issue and a violation of the basic rights of women and girls. Only five communities out of 42 in Kenya do not practice FGM/C; Pokomo, Turkana, Teso, Luhya and Luo according to a report from Kenya ministry of Gender, Children and Social development.
In Africa for instance, 28 sub-Saharan countries practice FGM/C where national prevalence rates ranges from 5 percent in Democratic Republic of Congo to 98 percent in Somali.
FGM/C has been condemned globally and the world Health Organization estimates that about 100 – 140 million girls and women have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting worldwide and more than 3 million girls are at risk annually.
FGM/C contravenes the convention on the Rights of The child which classifies it as the cruelest and severest form of torture against girls and young women.
There are various reasons given for the practice of FGM/C in Kenya . Some communities regard FGM/C as a rite of passage overlooking some of the tragic consequences on women and girls. These include girls dropping out of school to get married or being forcibly married off since culturally they are considered ‘ripe’ for marriage.
Others misinterpret it to be a religious practice. This is despite the fact that the child has not consented to this process and has no way of comprehending the magnitude of the process, defending herself or seeking for redress.
Culturally, once the initiation is over, the girls are allegedly accepted as full members of the society and are eligible for marriage.
It has also been noted that FGM/C results in emotional and sexual damage.

As the world commemorate the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, young Maria (not her real name) from Kipsing location of Laikipia District in Kenya ran away from her real parents who wanted her circumcised at an early age of five.

She was later to be married off a Samburu Moran for ten heads of cattle. The Moran, seven times older than Maria, had already marked her with a beaded necklace showing that she was engaged.

She was the youngest among ten young girls who were rescued by a child right activist.

Each of the other nine girls has a story to tell. A story that will be hard to erase from their minds the rest of their lives as they have already been cursed away from the community the rest of their lives.

In Nyeri, a 20 year old Samburu girl is fighting for her life after a serious miscarriage following a condition called Obstetric fistula. According to the hospital doctors, the condition is a result of early age FGM/C. She lost her child and has no chance of bearing her own child in future as her womb has already collapsed.

This is the way of life to many communities in Kenya and the government will be reflecting some of these issues this year during the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting.

The International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting is a UN day that is observed on February 6, every year. The objective of the day is to create awareness on the practice and seek greater support of the elimination of FGM/C. The day was adopted following the conference of the Inter African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children (IAC) held on February 6, 2003.

Mrs. Stella Obasanjo, the First lady of Nigeria , made the official declaration on “Zero Tolerance to GFM/C.” in Africa during the meeting.

In Kenya FGM/C is recognized as a national issue and a violation of the basic rights of women and girls. Only five communities out of 42 in Kenya do not practice FGM/C; Pokomo, Turkana, Teso, Luhya and Luo according to a report from Kenya ministry of Gender, Children and Social development.
In Africa for instance, 28 sub-Saharan countries practice FGM/C where national prevalence rates ranges from 5 percent in Democratic Republic of Congo to 98 percent in Somali.
FGM/C has been condemned globally and the world Health Organization estimates that about 100 – 140 million girls and women have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting worldwide and more than 3 million girls are at risk annually.
FGM/C contravenes the convention on the Rights of The child which classifies it as the cruelest and severest form of torture against girls and young women.
There are various reasons given for the practice of FGM/C in Kenya . Some communities regard FGM/C as a rite of passage overlooking some of the tragic consequences on women and girls. These include girls dropping out of school to get married or being forcibly married off since culturally they are considered ‘ripe’ for marriage.
Others misinterpret it to be a religious practice. This is despite the fact that the child has not consented to this process and has no way of comprehending the magnitude of the process, defending herself or seeking for redress.
Culturally, once the initiation is over, the girls are allegedly accepted as full members of the society and are eligible for marriage.
It has also been noted that FGM/C results in emotional and sexual damage.