What is Female Genital Mutilation?
- Kenya Works
- Aug 26
- 7 min read
Updated: Aug 27
Everything You Need to Know About FGM and Our Work to End It
In June, we shared the powerful story of two Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) survivors who found protection, healing, and new beginnings through Kenya Works.
Thanks to vigilant community members, the swift response of local authorities, and the dedicated expertise of our Kenya Works staff, these girls are now thriving once again—safely returned to a supportive family member's care and on a path toward recovery and a bright future through education.
Their journey—marked by courage, compassion, and community intervention—is a testament to what is possible when people join hands against harmful practices and put children’s rights and well-being first.
As we celebrate the resilience of these girls, many of our friends have asked:
What exactly is FGM?
Why does it continue?
What can I do to help?
A Deeper Dive: A special note from Kenya Works Program Coordinator Caroline Gitau
This month, Kenya Works Program Coordinator Caroline Gitau brings answers to your questions about FGM—and a call to action for all to protect children from abuse and violence.
Speaking with a single global voice to safeguard girls' rights and futures and powering local interventions are the critical actions urgently needed to bring an end to FGM once and for all.
Each and every one of us must play a role in ending FGM. This human rights abuse affects far too many girls. It is most prevalent in Africa and Asia, but FGM is also happening in North America and Europe. Through knowledge, advocacy and compassion we will end FGM.
What Is FGM?
FGM refers to “all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.” It is internationally recognized as a violation of the rights of girls and women.
The practice has no health benefits. Quite the opposite. It often results in severe bleeding and problems urinating, infection and death. As the girl moves into reproductive age, mutilation can also lead to cysts, menstrual difficulties, infections, and complications in childbirth, increasing risk of newborn deaths.
Nearly always carried out on minors, FGM is a deep violation of children's rights. According to UNICEF, FGM is a violation of universal human rights principles:
FGM violates the principles of equality and non-discrimination on the basis of sex. It violates the right to freedom from torture and cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. It violates the right to the highest attainable standard of health, the right to physical integrity, and the rights of the child. In the worst cases, it even violates the right to life. - Unicef
Why Is FGM Done?
Control of Sexuality: In many societies, FGM is carried out to suppress a girl’s sexuality. It is believed to guarantee virginity before marriage, ensure fidelity afterward, and even increase male sexual pleasure.
Cultural and Social Tradition: FGM is often treated as a rite of passage, marking the transition into womanhood. In some communities, it is seen as a necessary step for a girl to be considered eligible for marriage.
Perceptions of Cleanliness and Beauty: Some believe that the external female genitalia are unclean or unattractive, leading to their removal. Harmful myths—such as claims that an uncut clitoris will grow abnormally large or that FGM improves fertility or child survival—also fuel the practice.
Misuse of Religion: While neither Islam nor Christianity endorse FGM, religious arguments are frequently invoked as justification, reinforcing the continuation of the practice under the guise of faith. Female genital mutilation is driven by social norms rooted in traditional beliefs that are passed on through generations, often unquestioned. The practice is "enforced" by societal approvals, such as marriage prospects, and sanctions, such as ostracism.
These societal rules make it difficult for individuals or families to abandon the practice. The immediate or long-term health complications are overlooked as the perceived social benefits of the practice are deemed higher than its disadvantages.
At its core, FGM reflects deeply entrenched gender inequality.
In regions where FGM is most prevalent, it is often associated with marriage and dowries. Parents may feel forced to comply out of fear that their daughters will be rejected or excluded if they remain uncut. But this fear-based conformity sustains a cycle of harm—where protecting cultural acceptance is placed above protecting girls’ bodies, rights, and futures. It is also commonly linked to child marriage—a further abuse to the girl child.
Breaking this cycle requires collective courage: families, leaders, and communities standing together to say no tradition or expectation should cost a girl her dignity—or her life. It requires continued support from the global community for raising the collective voice and conscience—and the funding to continue programs that work—to end the practice completely.
That’s why Kenya Works partners with parents, teachers, youth, and local leaders—and our global community—building awareness, creating safe alternatives, and ensuring girls are protected, celebrated, and free to shape their own futures.
Where is FGM Practiced?
While FGM is most prevalent in Africa and the Middle East, it exists all over the world.
It is primarily concentrated in 30 countries in Africa and the Middle East, but it also takes place in some Asian and Latin American countries and in certain communities in Western Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.
At least 200 million girls and women around the globe are living with the pain and trauma caused by FGM.
How Prevalent is FGM in Kenya?
In Kenya, the prevalence of FGM has dropped from 37.6% of women aged 15–49 in 1998 to 21% in 2014. The progress toward ending FGM Kenya is encouraging. It tells us interventions are working.
This progress, however significant, is not equally distributed across the country. Ethnicity and social identity are primary indicators for FGM in Kenya. This has created "hotspots" for the practice on the Kenyan map where prevalence is well above the national average, such as Somali (86.9%), Samburu (75.9%), Kisii (70.3%), and Maasai (56.7%). It's important to note that even within communities with a high prevalence of FGM, opposition to FGM is mounting from men, women, boys and girls.
Equipped with data, deep local context, a nationwide network of community advocates and a well-established anti-FGM community training program, Kenya Works has been delivering community-led abandonment of FGM initiatives for close to a decade.
We are mindful of other developing trends including the medicalization of the practice (in other words, FGM performed by healthcare workers), changes in the type of cutting performed (‘less severe’ types of FGM and the cutting of younger girls), and cross-border FGM. Kenya Works stands opposed to this practice in all forms. Staying abreast of emerging challenges is critical to ending the practice.
Is FGM Legal in Kenya?
FGM is illegal in Kenya, and there is significant political energy behind the eradication of the practice. Initially outlawed in 2011 by the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act, FGM is also addressed in the revised Penal Code of 2014, the Protection Against Domestic Violence Act (2015) and most recently, the Children Act 2022.
There are also key policy frameworks that have been introduced to address FGM: the National Policy for the Eradication of Female Genital Mutilation (2019), the National Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health Policy (2022–2032) and the National School Health Policy (2018).
In 2019, then President Kenyatta committed to ending FGM by 2022 and launched a national multi-agency technical committee, with steering committees co-chaired by national gender officers and county commissioners. His successor, current President William Ruto has continued to advance progress, increasing allocations to The Anti-FGM Board (now operating under Strategic Plan for 2023–2027) as well as through political statements, and support for FGM programs.
How Does FGM Affect Girls and Communities?
The harmful affects are lifelong and devastating:
Severe immediate pain and trauma
Permanent health complications (infections, childbirth risks, chronic pain)
Psychological scars (anxiety, depression, PTSD)
Disrupted education & early marriage risks
Perpetuation of inequality and poverty across communities
“FGM is a deep violation and abuse of girls—and is a wound to the whole community.”
Societies that protect equal rights for girls and boys create benefits for everyone.
Global Solidarity
Kenya Works aligns our grassroots action with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which call for an end to harmful practices like FGM. This ensures that every local victory contributes to global progress for justice, dignity, and opportunity.
How Kenya Works Fights FGM
✅ Rescue & Shelter — urgent care, medical support, and safe housing.
✅ Safe Reintegration — thorough assessments before family reunification.
✅ Community Education — dialogues, media campaigns, and advocacy training.
✅ Engaging Youth & Men — shifting harmful norms and building allies.
✅ Alternative Rites of Passage — cultural ceremonies without the cut.
✅ Mentorship & Life Skills — camps and school programs for resilience.
✅ Scholarships — building education access for girls in marginalized communities.
✅ Psychosocial Support — counseling for healing and empowerment.
✅ Training Gatekeepers — workshops for leaders, police, and child officers.
✅ Legal Action — supporting prosecutions against perpetrators.
Through deep compassion, a vast national network, informed local context and a proven training curriculum, Kenya Works successfully cultivates local voices into action in affected communities to break the link between tradition and harmful practices. Our focus is to help communities understand the harms caused by FGM and shift social norms towards collective abandonment of the practice. For girls at risk of FGM, as well as FGM survivors, Kenya Works provides individual and targeted large group support for education sponsorships, deployed alongside community training.
Kenya Works' Ongoing Commitment
Despite progress, FGM remains deeply rooted in many communities. At Kenya Works, we will not relent until every community respects the dignity, rights, and voices of girls.
“Together, we can create a future where no girl suffers the trauma of FGM, and every child grows up safe, valued, and free.”
🌍 How You Can Help End FGM
Every action matters. Here’s how you can stand with girls:
Learn & Share → Global anti-FGM voices are critical. Talk about FGM with your community. Break the silence.
Give → Your donation fuels rescues, shelter, and education for at-risk girls while powering community-level change.
Fundraise → Unleash your creativity with your own unique fundraiser to advance girls' rights.
Advocate → Use your voice and harness your network in advocating to end to FGM.
✨ Together, we end FGM. Together, we empower futures.