Anti-FGM Board warns of rising trend in medicalised Female Genital Mutilation

The fight against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has taken a concerning turn pushing the anti-FGM (Anti-FGM) Board to issue a warning about a new and dangerous trend.

According to the board, quacks are secretly performing the banned practice in private homes and hidden locations, putting young girls at risk.

Hashim Yussuf, the Director of Policy and Research at the Anti-FGM Board, issued a stern warning to medical practitioners and the public, urging immediate action to curb the rise of fraudulent medical professionals involved in the harmful practice.

"It might be happening in private facilities and done by quacks who claim that they are qualified. So the problem is the quacks who are doing it in homes or hidden places," Hashim said.

The board made it clear that the practice of FGM is illegal in all public hospitals and that any individuals caught facilitating it, including those masquerading as medical professionals, will face legal consequences.

Hashim also called on the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board to take swift action against fraudsters who exploit vulnerable parents by pretending to be legitimate healthcare providers.

The warning follows a recent statement by Patrick Ngigi, the founder of Mission With Vision, a non-profit organisation in Narok County that works with girls fleeing the harmful practice.

Ngigi revealed that some trained medics are now complicit in the practice, colluding with parents to subject their daughters to FGM.

He stressed that this trend has become particularly concerning in Narok County, which is one of the areas with the highest prevalence of FGM, according to the latest Kenya Demographic and Health Survey.

"It is sad that the vice is now being medicalised in Narok County. We are an organisation that is at the grassroots level. We know it is still going on and it is being done at night and it is even being done by medical practitioners," Ngigi added.

He expressed frustration over the lack of significant action by authorities despite several cases being reported to the police.

He noted that while the government has made progress in combating FGM, the involvement of medical professionals in the practice is an alarming development that demands urgent attention.

Ngigi was in Nairobi to meet with the anti-FGM Board after completing a 168-kilometer walk from Narok to Nairobi as part of their campaign against FGM and gender-based violence.

The couple shared their concerns about the increasing medicalisation of FGM, calling for greater efforts to protect vulnerable girls.

In addition to addressing the role of medics, Ngigi highlighted the need for more financial support for grassroots organisations that are on the frontlines of the battle against FGM.

"Anti-FGM Board should be given more financing so that they can be able to have offices in every county. They need to be stronger to be able to work, and fund organisations that are on the grassroots level," Ngigi said.

He also urged county governments to step up their involvement in supporting anti-FGM campaigns and ensuring that safe spaces for girls such as shelters and centres for those escaping FGM are well-resourced. This includes providing access to clean water, food, and other essential needs.