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Phone : +254 713 595 732
Email : info@irepfoundation.org

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Postal Address : P.O. Box 346-30600
Kapenguria, Kenya

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Female Genital Mutilation

Ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): Restoring Dignity, Protecting Rights

FGM involves the partial or total removal of external female genitalia for non-medical reasons and is widely recognized as a violation of the rights of girls and women. Despite being outlawed under Kenya’s Prohibition of FGM Act (2011), the practice remains alarmingly common in West Pokot, where the 2022 KDHS reports a prevalence rate exceeding 44%.

In many communities, FGM is a deeply entrenched tradition seen as a rite of passage and a condition for marriage. Girls are often cut at a young age, exposing them to serious health risks, psychological trauma, and school dropout. These harmful norms are driven by cultural beliefs, social pressure, poverty, and limited access to accurate information.

At I_Rep Foundation, we are working from the grassroots to challenge the silence and stigma around FGM. Through education, dialogue, and empowerment, we are supporting communities to abandon the cut and protect the rights and futures of girls.

Domtilla with school kids

Why FGM Persists in West Pokot

Our insights from grassroots changemakers highlight the key drivers of FGM:

  1. Cultural Beliefs: Uncut girls are often seen as unclean or incomplete and may face social exclusion or stigma.
  2. Marriage Pressure: FGM is believed to enhance a girl’s chances of marriage and increase the bride price, reinforcing child and forced marriages.
  3. Peer Influence:Young girls face strong social pressure to conform or risk being labeled outcasts.
  4. Poverty: In marginalized areas, cutting remains a source of income for traditional circumcisers.
  5. Lack of Awareness: In remote villages, myths around FGM’s value persist due to limited education and information.
  6. Weak Law Enforcement: Despite strong laws, enforcement in rural areas is hindered by fear, inadequate resources, or resistance from within the community.

Our Approach to Ending FGM

We take a holistic, community-led approach built on prevention, protection, empowerment and systems change:

  1. Community Dialogues & Sensitization: We hold open forums with elders, parents, youth, and reformed cutters to challenge cultural norms and encourage local ownership of anti-FGM efforts.
  2. Education & School Protection Clubs: We promote school enrollment and retention, while establishing clubs that empower students with life skills, rights awareness, and early warning support for at-risk girls.
  3. Economic Empowerment for Women: We support reformed cutters and caregivers with vocational training, financial literacy, and alternative income sources to reduce economic reliance on FGM.
  4. Safe Spaces for Girls: Our youth-friendly hubs offer mentorship, psychosocial support, and a safe, supportive environment where girls can learn and grow freely.
  5. Public Campaigns & Cultural Events: Through barazas, cultural forums, and school outreach, we raise awareness, celebrate survivor stories, and spark collective resistance to FGM.
  6. Media & Digital Advocacy: We use local radio and social media to amplify anti-FGM messages, ensuring even remote communities receive accurate information and stories of hope.
  7. Stakeholder Partnerships: We work with local leaders, teachers, health workers, and law enforcement to improve response systems and ensure coordinated protection for girls.

Women’s Economic Empowerment: Breaking Cycles, Building Futures

Women’s economic empowerment is at the heart of creating resilient, thriving communities. In West Pokot, women face systemic barriers such as limited access to education, cultural restrictions and entrenched gender norms that hinder their full participation in economic life. Many rely on subsistence farming, informal trade, or unpaid domestic work, with minimal or unstable income. Cultural practices like FGM and child marriage only deepen these inequalities, often cutting short girls’ education and limiting their future opportunities. 

At I_Rep Foundation, we believe that when women are economically empowered, they gain not only income but independence, dignity and a stronger voice in their homes and communities. Empowered women are more likely to advocate against harmful practices, invest in their families’ well-being and lead positive change in society.

Our economic empowerment programs include:

Vocational Training & Skills Development
We equip women—especially survivors of violence and reformed cutters—with practical, marketable skills such as tailoring, beadwork, agriculture and digital literacy. These pathways offer sustainable alternatives to FGM as a source of income.
Entrepreneurship & Small Business Support
Women receive start-up kits, mentorship and business development support to launch and grow their own enterprises. We also help link them to local markets and cooperatives, fostering local economic growth.
Financial Literacy & Savings Groups
Through community savings and loan groups, women learn to manage money, plan financially, and invest wisely. These groups provide a critical financial safety net and build solidarity and peer support.
Leadership & Community Advocacy
We encourage women to step into leadership roles—whether in economic groups, community decision-making bodies, or peace forums. Women are mentored to become vocal advocates for gender equality, economic justice, and sustainable development.
Women’s economic empowerment is not just a program—it’s a movement. At I_Rep, we are creating an ecosystem where women can gain the confidence, skills and resources to rewrite their futures and inspire others to do the same.