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Kisii Women On Warpath Over Circumcision
- Details
- Published on Saturday, 07 July 2007 06:45
The new approach to dealing with the problem of female genital mutilation (FGM) which is still widely practised by the Kisii community offers hope for the eventual elimination of a ritual that has caused untold suffering and even death among women.
The approach initiated by the Julkei International Women and Youth Affairs, a non-governmental organisation is an alternative rite known as Ogosemia Gwekiare or circumcision through words.
It includes a week or two-week long programme of counselling, training and provision of information to young women, and culminates in the "coming of age day" during which members of the community celebrate and feast.
The alternative to the FGM has received significant support from more than 200 women and men participants - among them Kisii DC Joseph Mutemi - who attended the one-day workshop "to gather all traditional women circumcisers (abasari) and health workers for education seminars right down to clan and sub-location level.
Through the education seminars, the circumcisers and health workers will be enlightened on the already considerable harm the practice has wrought to women around the world and the need to eradicate it.
Julkei International executive director, Ms Julie Kemunto Maranya, who was the main facilitator at the workshop, said there was a serious need for Kisii women to address FGM as a health hazard, retrogressive and of no real benefit or value to the community and the innocent girls who are usually subjected to this violence.
Women circumcisers who participated were drawn from the three Abagusii districts (Kisii, Gucha and Nyamira). They displayed their tools of work at Gusii county hall. To the shock of many, the tools looked like weapons of war especially the traditional knife and the herbs applied after the cutting.
Some of the participants could not believe their eyes as majority were informed that those were the tools applied on them during their time of circumcision.
Two of the circumcisers, Nyarangi Okongo (70) and Margaret Moraa (45) from Keumbu Division, said the knife used to circumcise girls was usually kept out of reach of people.
Ms Okongo said that no one, even those already circumcised, was allowed to see the knife. She said that since she started the job immediately after she was married many years ago, she had "cut" thousands of girls.
"I didn't know that these things had any health implications as we are being told today, but since Aids (enyamoreo) is here with us, I have stopped the practice from today," she said.
The workshop which was funded by the Austrian Embassy stirred fresh hope of abolishing the FGM.
Health workers came under heavy attack as the current promoters of the practice for the sake of money. They were conducting the operation at "door steps of most private hospitals without the rituals that used to accompany the ceremony".
Ms Maranya says the onus is on the Kisii woman of today to endeavour to transform the community to abandon the practice as they enter the new millennium.
She said they should take a bold step in solidarity with one another to eradicate the harmful practice.
Kisii mayor Clare Omanga, who was the chief guest during the workshop, said a Kisii woman was always accused of being slow to act even when it was entirely her business to implement and evaluate something like the FGM. "Let's not wait for men to decide for us what course of acting to take in this matter. The ball is in our court".
The mayor appreciated the idea of rounding up all circumcisers and health workers in the three districts, saying the new approach had an aspect of flexibility which will help in implementation.
The approach will target the right class of people who have been in the game for long, and could turn tables for the better within a short period should NGOs like Julikei International secure funds to implement the programme at the villages where mothers will be taught the negative effects of female genital mutilation for women's health and quality of life.
