Alternative Rite of Passage Model Lowers prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation in Kajiado County by 24 per cent a study by Amref Health Africa revealed.
The Community-Led Alternative Rites of Passage (CL-ARP) Model
Instituted by Amref Health Africa to address FGM in Kenya has contributed to a decline in the prevalence of the practice over the past decade in Kajiado County.
CL-ARP, which has been implemented by Amref in Kajiado County since 2009, seeks to retain the harmless cultural rituals and celebrations around the transition to womanhood while encouraging communities to shun FGM and embrace alternative rites of passage (ARP) that do not include the cut.
A study titled Impact of Community-Led Alternative Rites of Passage on Eradication of FGM in Kajiado County and The Effects of COVID-19 Pandemic on FGM and Child, Early and Forced Marriages in Kenya, revealed that the model has contributed to a 24 per cent decline in FGM, from 80.8 per cent before its roll-out to 56.6 per cent in 2019.
The model has also led to a four-fold reduction in child marriage rates from 1.2 per cent to 6.1 per cent and consequently an increase in schooling years, with girls who previously attended school for only 3.1 years now staying in school for 5.6 years.
‘‘We believe in community-led, community-driven cultural alternatives to FGM that don’t subject girls to any form of cutting or force them to become child brides or teenage mothers, and those that enable them to continue their education,’’ said Meshack Ndirangu, Country Director, Amref Health Africa in Kenya.
‘‘We have been championing an end to FGM to promote empowerment of girls and women. While we recognise the cultural significance of the practice especially among pastoral communities, we must also acknowledge that it poses significant health risks, endangers the lives of girls and women and infringes on their human rights. In light of this, Amref is working closely with communities to educate them on the health and socio-economic risks of FGM, and to give them culturally relevant alternatives that still allow for the celebration of this milestone the transition from childhood to womanhood while protecting girls and women,’’ he added.
The study revealed that before COVID-19, majority of the respondents perceived that cases of FGM 63 per cent and CEFM 62 per cent were decreasing in Kajiado, Samburu and Marsabit counties. In contrast, during COVID-19, most of the study respondents perceived that the pandemic had led to an increase in both FGM 55 per cent and CEFM 64 per cent cases.
The most common reason given for the increasing number of FGM cases was the closure of schools 50 per cent while economic losses or loss of income 39 per cent was the most common reason given for the perceived increase in CEFM cases during COVID-19.
‘‘Amref is committed to a future without FGM/C and continues to contribute towards efforts to end the practice by 2030. We envision a continent free of FGM/C, where girls are empowered to continue their education and pursue their dreams. So far, over 20,000 girls have transitioned into womanhood through ARP ceremonies that we have organised in Kenya and Tanzania,’’ said Tammary Esho, Director of the End FGM Centre of Excellence (CoE).
The impact study recommends, among other things, the scaled-up implementation of the CL-ARP model, whose success lies in the sustained engagement of community leaders, local stakeholders and law enforcement agencies including border authorities; a multi-stakeholder approach focused on working with communities to drive behaviour change. It also proposes an update of the CL-ARP model to enhance its effectiveness by strengthening the engagement of men and boys as well as aspects of cross-border programming and policy to further accelerate FGM/C abandonment.