Border Disputes Poses as Challenge in Fighting Female Genital Mutilation.

The National Government Director of Gender in Migori County Mr Kenneth Oomo has decried that the Kenya-Tanzanian border is a drawback in the fight against FGM, Migori County in specific.

Despite the multiple campaigns done against FGM in Kenya, Tanzania has continued to embrace this cultural practice which is a negative influence to the communities residing around the border.

Over the years, Female Genital Mutilation has been one of the ancient retrogressive cultural practices which is being practiced until now in some communities therefore posing a threat to the young girls living in those areas.

Speaking at Kehancha town in Migori County during the commemoration of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, he insisted that the border movement is a drawback in the fight against FGM practices in the County.

He added that at times girls usually cross the border to Tanzania to get the cut and sometimes the Tanzanians cross the border to get circumcised.

“Sometimes the girls cross the border to undergo the cut in Tanzania and at times it’s the other way round,” Oomo said.

Oomo has urged the National Government to negotiate with the Tanzanian Government to outlaw FGM as it has been outlawed in Kenya.

Charles Olwamba from AMREF Africa outlined various measures which have been put in place to assist in ending FGM.

“We are empowering the youth through the Netherlands Government and we currently have projects that are targeting young adolescent girls in the society,” Olwamba said.

He added that the measures are aimed at giving a voice to the youth to make better decisions on their behalf and also shape the policy in Migori County about how they want things to be run in the health sector.

A report from UNICEF in 2021 shows that one out of every five girls is circumcised.

However, the last December’s cutting season indicates that over 50 girls were circumcised with over 200 being rescued from the cut and are currently staying at Rescue Centers.

The Anti-FGM war has pushed various CSO’s and NGO’s mostly in Kurya sub-counties to be in the fore front in fighting FGM.