Assessment Of The Effectiveness Of Campaigns Against Female Genital Mutilation In Tarime District

ABSTRACT

This study aimed at assessing the effectiveness of campaigns against Female Genital Mutilation in Tarime district, and involved four villages which were Getenga, Nyabitocho, Itiryo, and Mangucha. The study deployed questionnaires, interviews, and focus group discussion methods in data collection. Both qualitative and quantitative data were collected and were supplemented by secondary data from various kinds of literature. The findings from the study indicated that campaigns against FGM faced difficulties on its eradication from the study area. The major factors hindering the performance of the campaigns in eradicating FGM included the influence from the traditional leaders, the community, traditional circumcision practitioners, and the parents. FGM status in the study area remained high (44% and 43%) in the years 2010 and 2011 respectively. Most households were found to believe that the practice should be continued. Furthermore, field results indicated that FGM problem is widespread in the study area, provided many efforts on its eradication were done by few organisations such as Children‟s Dignity First (CDF) and AMREF-TUIMARISHE. The study concludes that FGM could be eradicated if stakeholders such as family, schools, peers, religions, media, health care providers, community workers, government, and NGO‟s are fully involved in anti-FGM campaigns. The main recommendations are; to educate various age groups so as to increase people‟s awareness of FGM; application of legal measures against FGM culprits; the government should provide relevant resources support to organizations responsible for FGM campaigns, and to involve traditional leaders and various stakeholders in decision making