Female genital mutilation/cutting among the Wardei of Kenya: practice, effects, and prospects for alternative rites of passage
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Date
2016
Authors
Sifuna, Daniel N.
Abagi, Okwach
Wasike, Nabiswam
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Chicago press
Abstract
This study focuses on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) with the aim of establishing
the rationale, outcomes, and challenges it presents to the girls and their families,
and whether there is scope for developing alternative rites of passage. The study established
that the major purpose of FGM/C among the Wardei was to control the initiates' sexuality
before marriage. It poses serious risks to their health, including the possibility of bleeding
to death. The practice affects Wardei girls' access to and participation in education as initiates
normally take a long time to heal, and it also bestows on them a status superior to that
of teachers who have not undergone circumcision. The study established that the Wardei
community is willing to adapt or abandon their traditional practices as part of social change
stemming from modernization and in response to international pressure. But eliminating
FGM/C among the Wardei community would require comprehensive and sustained advocacy,
sensitization, and public education by various groups, including religious and community
leaders, government agencies, nongovernmental organizations, and community-based
organizations. This intervention must target various groups-girls, boys, younger women,
older women, and fathers-who have different perceptions of and interest in FGM/C.
Description
Article scanned from a hard copy Journal:Journal of Anthropological Research Volume 72 number 3 fall 2016
Keywords
female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), rites of passage, Wardei (Kenya)
Citation
Journal of Anthropological Research Volume 72 number 3 fall 2016