UNICEF, Profile of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Kenya (2020)

by Dame Diongue

After reading the Profile of Female Genital Mutilation in Kenya (2020) by UNICEF, I want to share the three most important points I learned and my own thoughts.

First, the report shows that Kenya has made progress in reducing FGM, but the practice is far from over. Nationally, the rate has dropped from about 38% in 1998 to around 21% in 2014, but this improvement hides big differences between regions and ethnic groups. Some communities, especially in the north and west, still have rates as high as 90%. This shows that progress on paper does not mean progress everywhere. The fight against FGM must reach the places where culture and tradition still hold it tightly.

Second, UNICEF highlights that education and awareness play the biggest role in ending FGM. Girls and women who are educated are less likely to be cut, and they are more likely to question the practice and speak out. The report also notes that mothers’ education levels influence whether their daughters undergo FGM. For me, this is a clear sign that the mind is the real battlefield. When people have knowledge, they start to think critically about harmful customs. This is where real change begins.

Third, the report explains that Kenya’s government has laws against FGM, but enforcement alone is not enough. Many families hide the practice or take girls to neighboring countries like Tanzania or Somalia to be cut. This reminds me of what the UNFPA policy brief said about cross-border FGM. It’s a shared problem that requires cooperation, not just punishment. The report also calls for stronger community dialogue, where religious and cultural leaders are involved in the movement to protect girls.

My thoughts: I strongly agree with the points made in this report. As a rational humanist, I believe that no belief or culture should justify harming another person. FGM has no health benefit and only causes suffering. It is often defended as tradition, but not everything old is worth keeping. I think education is the real key. When people understand the science, the human pain, and the rights of girls, they begin to reject FGM willingly, not because they fear the police but because they see it as wrong.

Reading this also made me reflect on how slow social change can be. It takes more than laws to shift minds that have believed something for generations. But I feel encouraged that progress is possible. Kenya’s declining rates show that with time, courage, and constant awareness, societies can grow beyond harmful customs. This report reminded me that human dignity should always come before tradition, and that reason, empathy, and education must guide our choices.

After reading all the four essays, I feel a deep mix of sadness, anger, and hope. As a woman and an atheist, I see FGM as one of the clearest examples of how blind belief in tradition and religion can destroy lives. Each essay, in its own way, showed me that FGM is not only a medical issue but a human rights crisis rooted in control, fear, and ignorance. I agree with all the authors that this practice brings no benefit, only pain, shame, and lifelong trauma. The reports from UNFPA and UNICEF made me realize how complex the problem is, especially with cross-border cutting, cultural pressure, and community silence. But they also gave me hope that change is possible through education, compassion, and cooperation. As someone who believes only in human reason and empathy, I know that no god will stop this violence, it is our duty as humans to do it ourselves. Ending FGM means freeing girls from both physical and mental bondage. It means teaching families that love should protect, not harm. It means creating laws that work hand in hand with education, awareness, and women’s empowerment. My final thought is simple: humanity must grow beyond harmful customs. We have reason, science, and compassion, everything we need to build a world where every girl owns her body, her future, and her freedom.