HTTP 200 OK
Allow: GET, PUT, PATCH, DELETE, HEAD, OPTIONS
Content-Type: application/json
Vary: Accept
{
"id": 1031217,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1031217/?format=api",
"text_counter": 172,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Limuru, JP",
"speaker_title": "Hon. Peter Mwathi",
"speaker": {
"id": 104,
"legal_name": "Peter Mungai Mwathi",
"slug": "peter-mwathi"
},
"content": "In terms of regions or former provinces, we also have the highest percentages of prevalence of FGM in those areas. The leading one is North Eastern with 97.5 per cent; Nyanza, 32.4 per cent; Rift Valley, 26.9 per cent; Eastern, 26.4 per cent; Central, 16.5 per cent; Coast, 10.2 per cent; Nairobi, 8.0 per cent; and Western, 0.8 per cent. This practice is happening across the country. It is only the percentage of prevalence in each of those areas. Hon Speaker, it is of concern that among the emerging trends in the FGM practice is the reduction of the age at which it is performed. Other trends include changing the type of the cut, increased demand for traditional circumcisers’ services, secrecy, going across the border and medicalisation of FGM. Therefore, eradication of FGM requires a multi-sectoral, deliberate effort from all state and non-state actors. The FGM practice harms the physical and emotional health of women and girls including resulting in death; physical injuries; emotional stress and psychological suffering; complications during child birth for women; infections caused by lack of sterilised tools; transmission of various infections, including HIV; early marriage of young girls; and termination of their formal education. This Policy Paper is a revision of the National Policy on the Abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation 2010, which was found to be inconsistent with the Constitution which was promulgated in 2010 and other legislations including the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act, 2011 and the Protection against Domestic Violence Act, 2015. The overall goal for this policy is to create a society that is free from harmful cultural practices by eliminating FGM. Specifically, the policy intends to accelerate the eradication of FGM in Kenya through promoting public education and community dialogues on FGM; supporting the enforcement of the existing laws related to FGM; strengthening multi-sectoral coordination and networking, partnership and community participation towards the eradication of FGM; dealing with emerging trends and practices aimed at circumventing the legal framework; addressing gender inequality associated with FGM by promoting the empowerment of girls and women; and strengthening data collection, information and knowledge management on FGM. The policy notes the following as the challenges faced in eradicating FGM: Inadequate data; weak coordination framework at the national and county levels including in the education, health, culture, legal, policy and economic segments; inadequate resources to accelerate the eradication of FGM; weak enforcement of the laws relating to FGM; discrimination and exclusion; and community resistance to the implementation of the Anti-FGM laws. As part of the monitoring and evaluation mechanism, the policy will be reviewed every five years and, on need basis, take into account changes in laws, priorities and emerging issues as may be determined by the Ministry responsible for gender affairs. Following the consideration of Sessional Paper No.3 of 2019 on National Policy for the Eradication of FGM, the Committee made the following observations: (i) Despite Kenya’s robust legal framework that criminalises FGM, the practice still exists; (ii) In order to avoid detection, communities that practice FGM are adopting new trends, including reducing age at which FGM is performed, changing the type of the cut, secrecy, going across borders to avoid law enforcement officers and, as I said before, medicalisation of FGM; (iii) Challenges in addressing FGM include inadequate data, weak coordination framework, inadequate resources, weak enforcement of the laws, stigma, community resistance in the implementation of the law, marginalised and remote areas that are not easily accessible, and cultures where FGM is deeply rooted; The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}