Women’s groups from Laikipia, Isiolo, Samburu, and Marsabit counties have come together to appeal to both county and national governments for dedicated funding to fight Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and child marriages.
They noted that donor withdrawal has significantly reduced financial support, leading to weakened community education and law enforcement efforts. Without government backing, they warned, the progress made so far risks being undone.
The forum, held in Isiolo, brought together representatives from the four counties who emphasized the need for gender-responsive policies and budget allocations to strengthen awareness campaigns and the enforcement of laws. The women also highlighted that harmful cultural practices in the region continue to put young girls at risk.
Nuria Golo, a women’s rights advocate from Marsabit, reported that perpetrators of FGM are adopting new methods to avoid detection.
She pointed to the rise of medicalized FGM, conducted under anesthesia, and the practice of transporting girls to remote or cross-border areas, including Ethiopia and Somalia, for the procedure.
Nuria also explained that while intergenerational advocacy has helped to some extent, its impact remains limited without strong government support. She stressed that the efforts of women’s groups in the region are yielding minimal results due to limited resources to sustain advocacy and protect girls.
Dr. Hellen Gathogo from Laikipia emphasized the need for women-led organizations to adopt joint strategies instead of working in isolation. She urged county governments to provide safe houses for girls escaping harmful practices rather than leaving the responsibility to struggling non-governmental organizations.
Rebbecah Lorosoi, a nominated member of the Samburu County Assembly, reminded the county government of Samburu of its recent adoption of a gender policy and pressed for funds to ensure its implementation.
Zamzam Hussein described FGM and child marriages as a growing menace and warned against relying on Alternative Justice Systems (AJS) to resolve such cases.
She called on the Laikipia County government to formulate a gender policy that would support the work of local women-led organizations.
Written by George Kobia, TV47 Correspondent
