This archive report was first published on 10 June 2020.
Kenya: Coronavirus Threatens Goal to End Female Genital Mutilation ¶
Published on June 10, 2020
Kenya's goal of ending female genital mutilation (FGM) by 2022 is in jeopardy due to the COVID-19 pandemic, campaigners warned. The pandemic has led to "mass cuttings" involving hundreds of girls, according to reports.
One in five women and girls aged between 15 and 49 in Kenya have undergone FGM, which can cause serious health problems, says the United Nations. Kenya criminalised the practice in 2011, but it persists in some communities where it is seen as necessary for social acceptance and increasing marriage prospects.
Domtila Chesang, an anti-FGM campaigner in West Pokot county, reported that up to 500 girls underwent FGM since schools closed on March 16. "Girls are not going to school, they are just sitting at home. Some are coming of age. Parents are facing an uncertain future due to loss of income caused by the coronavirus, so they are having the girls cut and will marry them off," said Chesang.
Chesang also stated that the government had ordered charities to shut rescue shelters as they did not comply with social distancing measures, leaving many girls unable to escape communities where they were at risk of FGM.
The Anti-FGM Board, a semi-autonomous government agency, reported that they had received reports of FGM from counties including West Pokot, Baringo, and Samburu. They are working with local police to rescue girls and arrest suspects.
Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta pledged in November to end FGM by 2022, eight years ahead of the 2030 global goal agreed by U.N. member states.
