What we do
Safe camps for girls
The reasons for female genital mutilation are a complex web of social norms, economic pressures, and ignorance. School holidays are a risky period for girls at risk of mutilation: they have time to recover from the procedure, and teachers might not notice.
Every year, International Solidarity Foundation, in collaboration with local partner organizations, organizes safe camps for girls at risk of mutilation. During these camps, parents also receive information about the harms of mutilation and commit to protecting their daughters from it.
Female genital mutilation (FGM) holds significant importance in the communities that practice it, as it serves as a so-called rite of passage—a crucial transition from childhood to adulthood, from girlhood to womanhood. FGM is seen as a guarantee of marriage and social acceptance for the girl, and a woman who has undergone the procedure is viewed as “pure” and a suitable wife.
During the mutilation procedure, the girl’s close relatives and influential members of the community gather to celebrate her growth towards womanhood. For many girls themselves, this is also an important and anticipated moment, linking them to the generational chain of their community.
Due to strong social norms, eradicating FGM cannot be achieved merely by changing laws; traditions, customs, and social and moral norms evolve slowly. For instance, in Kenya’s Kisii and Nyamira regions, many girls still undergo FGM, even though it was criminalized in 2011.
Increased awareness of the medical risks associated with the procedure has not led to its end. Instead, the practice has partially medicalized, meaning healthcare professionals secretly perform FGM for extra income.
It’s possible to influence socially constructed phenomena through methods that are linked to social norms. Change in people’s attitudes is achievable when the right community members are engaged and collaborative approaches are developed with them. These approaches should respect valuable traditions while reshaping norms from within the community.
The phenomenon of female genital mutilation encompasses multiple layers: the procedure is viewed as ensuring a woman’s sexual “purity” while also being part of valuable local cultural heritage.
On the other hand, addressing the issue might be perceived as an attempt to weaken the region’s own culture and break centuries-old traditions due to “European influences,” or to loosen sexual morality.
Social norms also change slowly: there are no quick wins in this work.
The girls’ safe camp provides what is called an alternative rite of passage: the celebration of a girl’s transition to womanhood is marked by supporting traditional values through replacing a violent tradition with a non-violent one. The girl becomes the center of attention for her parents and loved ones, dressing in her finest, while the parents have the opportunity to celebrate their daughter’s growth. However, the violent practice that would have a lasting impact on the girl’s life is not part of this celebration.
The celebration includes community elders, leaders, teachers, healthcare professionals, and community influencers, all playing a crucial role in the new tradition.
Equally significant is that both the girls and their parents are present at the safe camp together. Social norms often carry mistaken assumptions about what “everyone else” thinks. In the case of mutilation, many parents wrongly assume that the majority of other parents support the practice and want their daughters to undergo it.
Therefore, the discussions and communal declarations against mutilation during the camp play an important role in breaking down old norms.
Location: Kisii & Nyamira, Kenya
Implementation Period: Safe camps are organized during school holidays.
Partners: Manga Heart & CECOME
Field Coordinator, VAWG prevention
Location: Kisii
bella.masanya@solidaarisuus.fi
