Female Genital Mutilation
Female Genital Mutilation
Female Genital MutilationTraditionally, some communities in Kenya would circumcise not only the boys but the girls too. This was fully accepted and it was a shame if you were a girl and did not have the cut. Even today, some communities still practice it. With the on set of the western culture, people started getting enlightened on the dangers of this practice. Some communities dropped the practice completely. Some are still forcing their girls to have the cut, if they refuse, they would be excommunicated from their families and society at large. Some cannot even get marriage partners because they have not gone through the process.
The circumcision process included scrapping off some of the vaginal parts like the clitoris. The dangers of female genital mutilation are many. These may include immediate death after the cut from excessive bleeding, complicated birth and painful sexual intercourse. Many girls after the cut had no chance of ever enjoying being with their partners. The girl if she ever got pregnant, giving birth was sometimes a complication that would result to bleeding to death. The scar left after the cut was a problem she had to deal with for the rest of her life.
Today, the government together with some non governmental institutions is fighting this practice. It is educating the masses on the dangers of the process. For girls who have been forced to go through the process but have refused, the government is rehabilitating them and offering education and home facilities especially for those who have run away from home to avoid the cut. Slowly, the practice is dying out, very few communities and families still force their girls to do it.