Training #MenEndFGM Champions in Kenya

In partnership with UNFPA and World Vision Kenya, our trained male champions conducted community dialogues in Eluanata and Noosikitok villages in the Noosikitok location, Namanga division, Kajiado county. The three-days community dialogues saw a total of 167 participants were reached directly. 

Several strong messages emerged, including the following:

a) Men should stop appearing to be oblivious when a girl is subjected to female genital mutilation. They are the family's decision-makers. Nothing occurs in the family without their knowledge– one participant agreed that they are the financiers of the celebrations that occur when a girl is cut, and collectively they vowed to discontinue the practice.

b) Girls should be empowered to make their own body choices. I am calling to all community members to band together and assist put an end to female genital mutilation in our village and to treat girls and women equally - a trained male champion emphasized the importance of equal rights for women and girls.

c)     Not all of our cultures are bad, but we are against the cultures which harm the women and girls. We need to change our culture of ushering in our girls into womanhood through FGM as it hampers the potential of girls to lead flourishing life– said a trained participant.

d)     When a girl is educated the whole society benefits. Education helps in alleviating the poverty levels of the parents because that educated girl will succeed and come back to help the parents. Am urging all of us, let us take these girls to school to as opposed to subjecting them to FGM and thereafter marrying them off early – said chief Kanchori Shuaka

f)     FGM can never be safe and there is no medical justification for the practice- said Ntengese Topoika a trained male champion.

In October, November and December, in partnership with Global Media Campaign, we took our trained male champions to radio for live radio talk shows in their native languages. The trained male champions were drawn from Isiolo, Meru, Wajir, Samburu and Kajiado counties. Through the radio talk shows, more than 1.5M listeners from these counties were reached with anti-FGM messages. The focus of the talk shows was on sensitization on the law, delinking FGM with religion and advocacy for elimination of harmful practices against women and girls.

In partnership with UNFPA Kenya and World VisionKenya, we were able to train 66 additional male champions in Kajiado County. The training targetted hard-to-reach villages that still have a high prevalence of FGM and child marriage. Each training was for three days and it was followed by a community dialogue targetting 50 community members. The trained champions led the dialogues and they were able to speak to women and other men on the need to eradicate the vices of FGM, child marriage, and teen pregnancies. 

 We have attached links to two testimonials/ success stories from this training. These are published on our website and will give more insights on the dialogues and also a preview on the changing attitudes and mindsets. 

Links:

• Kajiado Training Highlight
• Kajido Training Highlight 2