Men’s Perception towards the Abandonment of Female Genital Mutilation (Cutting) in Kenya (2014)

Abstract

Background of the Study "FGM is not only a catastrophic abuse of human rights that significantly harms the physical and mental health of millions of girls and women; it is also a drain on a country's vital economic resources," (Dr. Ian Askew, 2020), Director, WHO Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research. "More investment is urgently needed to stop FGM and end the suffering it inflicts." (WHO, 2020) Each year, around four million girls worldwide are at risk of undergoing Female Genital Mutilation or Cutting (FGM/C), most of them before turning age 15. Globally, it is estimated that over 200 million women aged 15-49 have undergone excision (UNICEF, 2020) with USD1.4billion spent annually on FGM/C health complications. If abandoned today, 60% of health savings could be realized by 2030 (WHO, 2020). Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), also known as Female Circumcision (FC) or Female Genital Cutting (FGC) "comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons", (WHO