Female Genital Mutilation/Circumcision and Transition of Girls in Education - Kajiado and Narok Counties, Kenya

Abstract

The right to free and compulsory basic education is enshrined in Article 53(1)(b) of the Constitution of Kenya. This aligns with African  Union’s Agenda 2063, and the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The SDG4 aims to “ensure access to equitable and  inclusive quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all. The international community recognizes that the  greatest impediment to universal education and equality are systemic and cultural inequalities, which mostly affect school going girls.  SDG 5 targets the elimination of all harmful practices, early and forced marriage, and female genital mutilation. In Kenya, government  efforts for 100% Secondary school transition and higher retention are hampered in Counties like Kajiado and Narok due to the prevalence  of FGM/C affecting girls. To gain insights into the effects of FGM/C on girls, this study sought to establish the status and  nature of FGM/C in Kajiado and Narok Counties. A mixed research approach was utilized targeting learners, victims of FGM/C, and key  stakeholders. The study found out that average rate of transition to girls in secondary school was estimated to be 40% in Form 1, and  gradually reduced to 10% in Form 4. The study also noted that psycho-social identity that the girls assumed after the FGM/C, the girls’  poor attitude towards schooling and poor relations with the teachers negatively affected transition. The enforcement of the law against  the practice, which was ranked as the most effective intervention.