Kenya has made significant progress in fighting female genital mutilation. This is demonstrated by comparable national data over the last 10 years that confirms a significant decline in the practice in Kenya. This position was also echoed by Prof. Collette Suda, Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development, while charing a meeting of the ‘National Committee for the Abandonment of FGM’ (NACAF) on 13th of August, 2010 at The Panafric Hotel in Nairobi.

Various national policy and legal documents on FGM have already been developed while others are pending adoption. At the same time, various communities have made public declarations against the practice:

• The National Policy for the Abandonment of FGM/C was approved on 29th June, 2010 and a sessional paper is to be developed and presented in Parliament.

• The Prohibition of FGM/C Bill has been finalised and preparations are underway to table it in parliament. The Bill looks at the three different forms of FGM, provides relevant definitions, legal provisions and outlaws any activities associated with the practice, including possession of tools and providing premises associated with it. The Kenya Women Parliamentary Association (KEWOPA) and Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development will present the Bill to the Minister for tabling in Parliament by the end of August, 2010. Lobbying activities are already underway, and KEWOPA will popularise the Bill in various constituencies including: Marakwet, Samburu, Pokot and Kacheliva. A communication strategy for the same is currently being developed.

• Additional planned activities include: preparation of a sessional paper on FGM to be finalised by November, 2010; discussions on transformation of NACAF’S mandate to be around either oversight/ advisory/ implementation/ advocacy and to realign its activities to Ministry of Gender’s work plan; inclusion of anti-FGM in the Ministry of Education’s school curriculum; and ‘public declaration against FGM events’ for Baringo and Kisii communities. The NACAF committee will hold its Annual Planning Meeting in November, 2010.

GTZ Health Sector Programme has been supporting Kenya in the fight against FGM for over a decade now. Its current prevention and response programs are embedded in a broader framework of preventing gender based violence (GBV). GTZ  supports policy formulation and legal reforms around GBV including FGM.  GTZ is currently undertaking a comprehensive literature review aimed at updating information about all relevant aspects of FGM in Kenya and analysing the existing databases. These findings will inform the development of a policy brief and formulation of a strategy to fight FGM. GTZ is an active member of the NACAF committee and has been requested to share its findings to be used as part of the ‘advocacy package’ for the proposed FGM Bill to be tabled in the Kenyan Parliament.

Related documents:
1. Proposed FGM Bill 2010

2. ECOSOC Draft Resolution Ending FGM 12th March 2010

3. FGM in Kenya Declining Prevalence and GTZ Contributions July 2010