Save girls from practice

What you need to know:

  • Once circumcised, these teenagers are deemed ripe for marriage and carted off to the homes of men, some of whom are old enough to be their grandfathers.

There are certain issues on which no compromise can be entertained. They include activities, traditions, or indulgences that pose a danger to individuals, groups, or entire communities.

Communities that still cling to old practices that border on criminality must be made to understand that they either shun them or face the music.

Two of the most obnoxious are the traditional pastime of cattle rustling, which is in real fact theft, and female circumcision, which is nothing but female genital mutilation.

It is, therefore, shocking to hear that some Samburu elders are advocating the continuation of this obnoxious ritual that has adverse health and social consequences.

DEEMED RIPE

Once circumcised, these teenagers are deemed ripe for marriage and carted off to the homes of men, some of whom are old enough to be their grandfathers.

Female genital mutilation is a major factor in the high school dropout rate in pastoral communities and enhances the vicious circle of poverty. Hardly 30 per cent of the girls complete primary school, with most dropping out and lapsing into poverty.

In other regions, 85 per cent of girls complete high school and get into careers, leading to better lives. Girls must be rescued from the grip of FGM.