A Religious Oriented Approach to Addressing Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting among the Somali Community of Wajir, Kenya

This report outlines the experience of a Population Council FRONTIERS programme to develop a religious-oriented approach to address the practice of female genital mutilation, also known as female genital cutting and female circumcision (FGM/C) among the Somali ethnic community living in Wajir district of North Eastern Province in Kenya. According to the report, community members had indicated that they were ready to listen to religious scholars and would be prepared to stop any practices that are not in line with Islamic teachings. To be able to do so, it was important that religious scholars within this community clarify among themselves the correct position of Islam on FGM/C. This was undertaken through facilitating a critical evaluation of the evidence cited by proponents of FGM/C to demonstrate that there is actually no Islamic basis to the practice. Discussions around this have concluded that proponents mostly rely on ahadith (from Wikipedia: "narrations concerning the words and deeds of the Islamic prophet Muhammad") that are either weak or unrelated to FGM/C. Deeper analyses of Islamic teachings can help counter the practice by showing that it is actually in violation of Islamic Shariah (from Wikipedia: "sacred law of Islam").

The report describes how activities under the community-based intervention began with discussions between religious scholars. Three discussion sessions, in small groups of a maximum of 13 persons, were held for educated scholars in Wajir district and a larger number at a regional and a national symposium. Knowledgeable scholars from other Muslim communities that do not practice FGM/C facilitated the sessions. Community members and groups were also mobilised and trained. The objectives of the training sessions for community groups were to de-link the practice from Islam and present it as a cultural practice which is in conflict with Islamic teachings.

The report identifies the following lessons learned:

• The clarification that FGM/C is not Islamic is a powerful tool, and messages around its non-Islamic nature were instrumental in convincing community members to question its practice.
• Scholars can play a critical and influential role in community education and encouragement of FGM/C abandonment. However, these scholars are members of their community and most still support all the cultural reasons for the practice. Discussions, debates, and exposure meetings between them must be sustained to lead to mind-change among these key leaders, which is a prerequisite for community-wide abandonment of the practice.
• It became evident that it is much more effective to engage a small number of scholars during the discussions.
• The Arabic language is complex and requires a deep knowledge to be able to fully understand the Islamic texts, as well as to avoid taking things at face value. Many scholars suffer from insufficient understanding of the language in interpreting some of the ahadith and other Islamic texts.
• In all meetings with the Islamic scholars, the verdict on the practice has moved from being considered sunnah (from Wikipedia: "habit or usual practice") at district discussions to mubah (from Wikipedia: "religiously neutral") at the regional symposium to the point where it was declared non-Islamic at the national symposium - though by a majority of non-Somali scholars. This shows the importance of sustained discussions and debates among the scholars.
• Even after clarifying the non-religious basis of the practice, participants were worried about whether they will still be able to control their girls so that they do not practice sex before or outside marriage. This suggests that their real concern is controlling female sexuality and that FGM/C is seen as the best way to do this; the religious justification is used to give greater support for this rationale.
• Many women do not consider the practice a priority problem for themselves or the community. Marriageability reasons for FGM/C practice are very strong, and there are not many counterarguments to help women move from their concerns about getting married.
• Many myths and anecdotes help to reinforce continuation of the practice. These need to be discussed and analysed from an Islamic and cultural perspective to clarify the true situation.

Based on the experience with this programme, the report outlines the following strategies as the way forward:

• Continue with religious clarifications: Because the scholars are divided on the correct stand of Islam on FGM/C, consensus-building among them through group discussion and debate needs to continue to support community education activities.
• Mainstream efforts to address FGM/C into other development programmes: It sometimes becomes difficult to engage in discussions on FGM/C with people who are moving around in search of basic necessities like water and food. The programme should expand to include some practical as well as strategic needs of the community, especially those of women and youth.
• Strengthen partnerships: Given the challenges mentioned above, it is important to seek partnerships with other development partners working in the region so as to share expertise and resources to enhance the campaigns.
• Address the whole community: Adult women (as mothers and as practitioners), as well as men (especially the youth), uncles, aunties, and grandmothers are all part of the immediate and the extended family who have a say in decisions concerning FGM/C. In addition, others in leadership positions in the community should be engaged during community education - i.e., political and civic leaders, community
  elites/professionals, teachers, community-based organisations (CBOs)/nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), medical personnel, and government administration.
• Address youth: Youth are the future parents and need special emphasis in order to save future daughters from FGM/C. Many are educated, and it is much easier to convince them with facts.
• Use mass media: Many people in the community listen to the radio, and 5 stations in particular will be important: the local radio stations, Star FM and FRONTIER FM, which are available in Nairobi, Garissa and Wajir; the Kenya Broadcasting Corporation Somali service; the BBC Somali service; and IQRA FM in Nairobi and its environs. Opportunities to raise this debate through these stations as well as through television should be explored, in addition to other mass media channels such as posters, public address systems for religious scholars, films/documentaries, and T-shirts and Lesos/Kitenge (from Wikipedia: a garment) with anti-FGM/C information.

The report concludes that the next steps in this endeavour should include sustaining engagement with religious scholars to support them in convincing their communities to abandon the practice, encouraging those scholars who are privately against the practice to speak out, and undertaking discussion sessions with a range of other community groups to communicate these messages to all involved in decisions concerning the practice.