The court has finally decreed the law on the prohibition of the practice of genital mutilation (FGM) in Kenya. This practice was mentioned in the report on Kenya in a videoconference to the Human Rights Committee from March 9 to 11. It was already considered illegal in 2011 but now it is officially prohibited.

The report was presented by Ms. Maryann Njau-Kimani, Secretary for Justice and Constitutional Affairs in the Kenyan Ministry of Justice. She emphasized the need to comply with the measures taken in the national policy adopted in 2019 to eradicate the practice of FGM. There was even a training manual for medical personnel titled "Ending the Medicalization of FGM."

FGM is an age-old act involving the alteration of genitalia for non-medical reasons. According to UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) estimates, 200 million women and girls are already victims of FGM. By 2030, that number may reach 4.6 million women.

A health professional, Tatu Kamau, wants to legalize this rite in court and challenge the 2011 law. The court rejected her petition. Kenya's senior high court judge, Lydia Achode, said the decision to restrict the practice is properly valid. The court ruled in favor of curtailing the custom.

For women in Kenya who practice the habit, this is the beginning of a new era. However, in remote areas of the country, indigenous communities still practice it.

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© Photo Credits : Aufeminin

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