Women leaders in Laikipia, Isiolo, Samburu, and Marsabit counties have appealed to both the County and the National governments to intensify efforts of fighting Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriages.
The women leaders drawn from various organizations decried that despite an enhanced multi-sectoral approach to counter the outdated practice in the region, the impact was minimal, and so there was a need for strong government intervention for the campaign to be successful.
They urged the two levels of the government, and especially the counties, to devise policies that strengthen and support the war against FGM and early marriages, which was sluggish and not vigorous.
Speaking in Isiolo town, the four counties’ representatives emphasised on the need for enhanced formulation of gender-related policies and budget allocations for the creation of awareness and enforcement of the existing laws.
They asserted that the deep-rooted cultural practices among communities living in those regions demand concerted efforts involving both genders as well as spirited sensitization forums that could be impactful on behavioral change among all the players in the retrogressive traditional practices.
A women’s rights advocate from Marsabit, Ms. Nuria Gollo, said that the dwindling donor support had significantly reduced financial strength to spearhead community education and law enforcement efforts in the region.
She revealed that there were families who carried out the FGM practice by taking the girls to Ethiopia and Somalia for the procedure or having it done medically under anesthesia.
At the same time, Dr. Hellen Gathogo from Laikipia emphasised the need for women-led organisations to adopt joint strategies instead of working in isolation.
She urged county governments to provide rescue homes for girls escaping the retrogressive practices rather than leaving the responsibility to non-governmental organisations.
A nominated Member of the Samburu County Assembly, Ms. Rebecca Lorosoi, said the county government of Samburu recently adopted a gender policy but appealed for allocation of funds to ensure its implementation.
And from Isiolo, Ms. Zamzam Hussein described FGM and child marriages as a growing menace and warned against relying on Alternative Justice Systems (AJS) to resolve such cases, which she termed as relaxed.
She reported that perpetrators of FGM are adopting new methods to avoid detection, and therefore, there is a need for all actors to focus on the changing trends so as to remain abreast in the war against the vices.
By David Nduro
