Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) persists in parts of Kenya, although it is illegal. Done secretly with dirty knives, it causes terrible injuries to girls, leading to infections and scarring, and often leads to early marriage. The pandemic impoverished many families and shut down Kenyan schools for months, causing girls to drop out, and some parents now want to marry daughters off early to bring in the “bride price” – leading to a rise in FGM cases as this is supposed to make girls marriageable.

We’ve learned from the local community that the key to eradicating FGM is to offer an alternative rite of passage to mark the beginning of womanhood. We developed this in collaboration with local women. It involves the girls attending a residential course, led by local people, where they learn about the responsibilities of adulthood and are encouraged to complete their education. The course ends with a public ceremony attended by a local Chief, at which the girls’ coming of age is celebrated.