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Kenya
Though proud of her Maasai heritage, Agnes Pareyio knew that certain traditional practices in Kenya needed to change. For years she travelled on foot from village to village, with a wooden model of the female reproductive system in hand, explaining the dangers of female genital mutilation/cutting to anyone who would listen. In Maasai culture, genital cutting is an initiation into adulthood. It is also considered a prerequisite for becoming a bride, which occurs, on average, at the tender age of 14. With support from UNFPA and V-Day, Ms. Pareyio and her colleagues created a safe house for girls attempting to escape this fate, and enrolled them in school. A network of like-minded organizations, alternative rites of passage and awareness-raising in the community are helping to ensure that Maasai girls in the future will have a wider range of options. |
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