West pokot: Efforts to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Kenya and globally by 2030 are ongoing in West Pokot, with anti-FGM crusaders bringing together journalists, government officials, and non-state actors to assess their roles in the crucial fight against the vice that is still prevalent in some parts of the county.
According to Kenya News Agency, a meeting organized in collaboration between the Media Council of Kenya and the Centre for Enhancing Democracy and Good Governance (CEDGG) in Kapenguria Town saw experts emphasize the need for a paradigm shift in reporting on matters of FGM, with the media being placed at the center stage in promoting the fight against the vice that is a global phenomenon.
MCK Rift Valley Regional Coordinator Joseph Mecha urged fellow journalists in the region to shift from sensationalism to solutions journalism on matters of FGM that still pervades the society despite the government’s relentless efforts to have it wiped out completely. Mecha highlighted that this partnership is aimed at empowering journalists to report on FGM professionally and ethically, as the media plays an active role in sensitizing the public on the dangers and long-term effects of FGM on girls and women.
He emphasized that bringing journalists and other stakeholders together to ensure that FGM is brought to light and properly addressed in public discourse will help everyone understand the harm it causes. Mecha appealed to journalists to engage in comprehensive research on FGM and produce comprehensive stories that offer solutions rather than just amplifying the prevalence of the vice.
Participants explored strategies to enhance collaboration and ensure that anti-FGM messaging reaches even the most remote communities, with stakeholders citing poor road and communication networks as some of the major challenges towards the fight against the vice. They also hinted at a lack of political goodwill from community members, with the fear that talking about ending the vice would deny aspirants political support.
Mecha stressed that fighting FGM is not a one-term conversation but a continuous campaign requiring media commitment, government involvement, and community participation. He urged journalists to work closely with all stakeholders and serve as watchdogs to ensure the government fulfills its role in enforcing FGM-related laws and policies.
On his part, West Pokot Director of Gender Emmanuel Oigo revealed that the region has seen progress in reducing FGM, with the prevalence rate dropping from 72% in 2014 to 44% in 2022. However, Oigo regretted that the county remains among the 22 counties in Kenya still significantly affected by FGM, with a national average of 15%; hence, more efforts have to be initiated so that the global and national target of zero FGM by 2030 is realized.
CEDGG Chief Executive Officer Paul Masese said the meeting aimed to develop effective strategies in collaboration with media and stakeholders to eliminate FGM in West Pokot and neighboring counties. He cited the rise of cross-border FGM, particularly during school holidays in November and December, when girls are secretly taken to neighboring Uganda or other counties like Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, and Turkana to undergo FGM.
Masese warned that in some Northern Kenya counties, the prevalence can reach high levels and urged stakeholders to join accountability campaigns addressing key drivers of FGM, including climate change, cultural practices, and poor enforcement of laws. He highlighted that FGM is illegal under the Prohibition of FGM Act, 2011, which was passed by Parliament.
Masese called for the Anti-FGM Board to decentralize its presence to the village levels to increase awareness of the law and address FGM-related risks more effectively. He also raised concerns over emerging trends that complicate the fight against FGM, indicating that in some parts of the country, people have started engaging in medicalized FGM, which remains illegal.
The media fraternity cited a lack of adequate facilitation to conduct detailed reporting on matters of FGM, pinpointing that most stories happen in very remote areas that require substantial budgets.
