Kenya: Armed men harassing families of uncircumcised girls
In Kuria, one of Kenya's districts, the illegal season of FGM is celebrated in public ceremonies.
Over the last month hundreds of girls from the Kuria tribe, have been subjected to FGM, without any interventions from the authorities.
Families of uncircumcised girls have been harassed by groups of armed men, who were going from door to door.
Just months ago several high-level government officials dealing with FGM agreed to cooperate to ensure that no girl was cut. Subsequently the ceremonies started secretly, but became public, when they realised that no action was being taken to stop them!
The girls are being paraded openly on the streets, wearing celebration hats as a sign!
In the last years Kenya has introduced a national Anti-FGM Board, reporting hotlines, a national roadshow programme and a team of 20 dedicated FGM prosecutors.
But still Kenyan authorities have failed to protect these girls!
Furthermore presidential elections are scheduled for August 2017, which could lead to FGM being dropped off the agenda, in order to get secure votes!
Promises have been made and broken only within days!
Egyptian FGM doctor flees to Turkey after the death of a young girl
Last year an Egyptian family took their 17-year old twins to a public hospital in Suez to undergo FGM. One of them didn't make it out alive!
The death of young Mousa led to a new bill inicreasing the punishment for FGM offenders in Egypt, turning it into a felony. The punishment increased from one year to three years for families and FGM doctors now have to serve 7 years in prison instead of 5.
Still the authorities showed a lack of action. The girl's mother and the anesthesiologist were arrested, while the operating doctor fled to Turkey!
At a subsequent hearing, the mother was fined 52$ and the doctor 263$, both sentenced to a year in jail.
FGM has been illegal in Egypt since 2008 and perpetrators are still getting away with it!
We demand a stricter persecution and the willingness to act upon FGM practitioners.
