NAIROBI, 17 December 2008 – Hundreds of girls between seven and 17 are seeking refuge in church compounds in western Kenya to avoid the ritual removal of their clitorises, a practice that remains common despite its illegality, reports IRIN, a Nairobi-based news network part of the UN.
The 350 girls who sought refuge at two churches were a small group and it is possible that several hundred girls aged 15 to 16 may have been circumcised.
The girls left their homes in late November and sought sanctuary in two Swedish Maranatha Pentacostal mission stations – Gwikonge in Kuria West and Komotobo in Kuria East.
According to an UNICEF officer, the majority of the girls were brought to the missions by their parents who resisted concerted pressure brought by their communities, elders and grandparents to have their daughters circumcised.
Although substantial work has been done to sensitise girls and the community at large to the dangers of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), more needed to be done to ensure that those who encourage the practice face the law.
Ahmed Hussein, the director of children’s services under the Ministry of Gender, said the government and its partners had provided food to last the girls two weeks.
According to a UNICEF-commissioned study by the University of Nairobi, the practice is still prevalent in most of Kenya, particularly in rural areas and among women who have received less education.
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