This archive report was first published on 13 July 2020.
Coronavirus rules force girls at risk of FGM to leave centres ¶
At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of girls at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) were forced to leave rescue centres due to strict social distancing measures.
According to Agnes Pareiyo, chairperson of the Anti-FGM Board, the girls were released back to their families without reconciliation, leaving them vulnerable to abuse and exploitation.
One such girl is Natasha, who had been living at the Tarsaru rescue centre in Kajiado. She had been on the run for two years after defying her father's plans to subject her to FGM and marry her off to an older man.
However, when President Uhuru Kenyatta ordered the closure of learning institutions in March, Natasha was forced to return home. She was subsequently subjected to a 14-day quarantine before being allowed to rejoin the other girls at the centre.
But Pareiyo warned that the pandemic has exposed thousands of girls to the risk of FGM, with some being forced to undergo the procedure in secret by medical practitioners.
Chief Administrative Secretary in the Ministry of Public Service, Youth and Gender, Rachael Shebesh, has called on authorities to protect girls from FGM and other forms of gender-based violence.
She said that the pandemic should not be used as an excuse to violate the rights of girls, and that President Uhuru Kenyatta has issued strict instructions to chiefs and their assistants to uphold the law and protect girls from abuse.
