Effectiveness of anti-female genital cutting interventions on the psychosocial wellbeing of the girl child in Marani Sub-County, Kisii County, Kenya.

Abstract

Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is a cultural practice that is extensively practiced in 20 out of the 47 counties in Kenya. Despite interventional efforts to end FGC, there has been limited progress in regard to abandonment of this practice among practicing communities. This practice persists with the changing trends notwithstanding. This study sought to examine theeffectiveness of anti- FGC interventions on the psychosocial wellbeing of the girl child in Marani Sub-County, Kisii County, Kenya. The study was guided by the following specific objectives: To assess the effects of local construals on the implementation of FGC interventions on the psychosocial wellbeing of the girl child; to examine the place of women in the implementation of FGC interventions on the psychosocial wellbeing of the girl child; to evaluate the effectiveness of the policy interventions in eradicating FGC practices; and to interrogate the challenges affecting eradication of FGC in the Gusii community in Marani Sub-County, Kisii County. The study was anchored on the step change theory, social convention theory and the theory of reasoned action. Moreover, the study adopted a mixed methods research design. The researcher employed cluster, purposive and simple random sampling techniques to recruit the respondents and participants to the study. The study targeted 26,186 households (KNBS, 2019) and sampled 207 respondents of which 200 participated in the household survey, 13 were purposively selected for key informant interview and a further 18 participated in focus group discussions. The study used interviews and questionnaires to collect qualitative and quantitative data for the study. In this context, quantitative data was collected using questionnaires, analyzed quantitatively, and presented in the form of tables, frequencies, percentages, pie charts and bar charts. Qualitative data (words/propositions) was collected through key informant interviews and focus group discussions, and analyzed thematically and presented in form of narratives and quotes. Secondary data was also collected through government publications, journals and articles. The study revealed that stress, stigma, isolation, and marital problems were main psychosocial effects. Also FGC caused strain in marriages where husbands abandoned their wives for younger and uncut women as well as some resorted to sleeping with their daughters. On interventions employed, results show that punishment of perpetrators (92%), advocating for change (85%), engagement of stakeholders (79%) and Establishment of rescue centers (61%) were common FGC intervention in Marani Sub-County. The study noted a reduced trend in FGC in the community implying that anti-FGC interventions were moderately effective while some interventions such as arrest of perpetrators was inefficient and contributed to underground and medicalization of FGC. It was found that men had low level of knowledge on FGC but still believed it was a traditional practice that should be continued. More findings revealed that health professionals such as doctors and nurses were involved in FGC in very secretive ways. Findings from this study concludes that FGC is an ongoing cultural practice within the Gusii community with women and health professionals being the main perpetrators though its practice has reduced significantly compared to previous years. This study recommends a review of the Prohibition of FGM Act among other interventions, establishment of awareness campaigns by various state and non- state actors as well as an adoption of alternative rites of passage as a means to eliminate the practice. This can be possible through resocialization of community members on the need to change this negative tradition for the psychosocial wellbeing of the girl child.