Senewa Letuya, a Maasai woman from Nairragie Enkare, Narok County in Kenya, has admitted deep regret over subjecting her daughters to female genital mutilation (FGM).
Once a firm believer in the traditional practice, Senewa now champions the campaign against it, working tirelessly to spare future generations.
Senewa, like many Maasai women, underwent FGM as a child and saw it as an essential rite of passage.
Following tradition, she ensured her daughters were also cut in the early 1990s.
“I was cut while I was a young girl. When I got married, I ensured that I followed the culture and traditions of my community to the letter. At that time, I saw nothing wrong with it,” Senewa reflected.
However, her outlook changed when she attended a government-led awareness campaign that highlighted the risks and illegality of FGM under the Anti-FGM Prohibition Act of 2011.
Realising the harm she had caused, Senewa took a courageous step – she apologised to her now-married daughters.
“The awareness campaign made me realise the grave mistake I committed against my daughters. I regretted why I did that. It was an eye-opener, and I knew I had to do something to make peace with them,” she said.
This moment of reconciliation transformed Senewa into a vocal anti-FGM advocate. She spared her younger daughters from the procedure and has since organised awareness campaigns throughout Narok, a county with one of the highest rates of FGM in Kenya.
“We have been holding community dialogues to sensitise the community about FGM. The dialogues include showing the health effects of FGM,” Senewa said.
Despite her dedication, Senewa acknowledges the challenges of combating such an entrenched tradition. Narok’s vast landscape and limited resources make it difficult to reach remote areas still practising FGM.
Her efforts have not gone unnoticed. In 2022, President William Ruto honoured her on Mashujaa Day as a local hero for her role in fighting FGM and gender-based violence.
Senewa now collaborates with organisations such as United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the Centre for Rights, Education, and Empowerment (CREAW). These groups focus on economic empowerment to combat gender inequality, a key driver of FGM.
According to UNFPA, efforts like Senewa’s are making a difference. FGM prevalence in Narok has dropped from 74% in 2014 to 51% in 2022.
FGM Linked to 44,000 Deaths Annually in Africa, Study Finds
A new study published in Nature Scientific Reports recently, revealed that approximately 44,000 girls and women die annually in Africa due FGM.
Researchers from the universities of Birmingham and Exeter discovered that a 50% increase in FGM cases raises the five-year mortality rate by 0.075%. FGM contributes to obstetric complications, reduced sexual function, and negative mental health outcomes.
The study highlighted the urgent need for changing societal attitudes and making FGM illegal in countries where it is still practised.
Approximately 55 million girls under 15 are at risk, despite existing anti-FGM laws in 28 African nations.