As the world commemorates the International Day of the Girl Child today, civil society groups and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Migori County have called on the local administration and security agencies to treat parents and men who assault their daughters and wives as criminals.
The groups noted in a statement that the administration led by the national government administration officials (NGAO) and the police should be at the forefront in discouraging ills committed against girls and women by acting tough on the offenders.
Officials of the groups who celebrated the day silently in Migori town said the international day of the girl child gave an opportunity to Kenyans to join other nations in the world in celebrating the day and focus seriously on issues that can make girls and women live a safe life wherever they stay.
On December 19, 2011, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 66/170 to declare October 11 as the International Day of the Girl Child to recognize girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world.
Dr. Woolkins Boof of the Migori Institute for Gender Equity Research and Development (IGERD) jointly with several leaders from other local civil society groups and NGOs said they would continue to pressurize the administration and security agencies in the region to end the violation of girls and women’s rights.
A joint statement read by Boof singled out the issue of female genital mutilation practiced on girls as a serious matter that must be handled carefully and stopped immediately among the practicing communities mainly the Kuria Community.
“The age-old exercise carried out in cycles among the four Kuria clans of the Abanyabasi, Abairege, Abakira and Abagumbe is seriously demeaning the life of girls and women,” stressed the group’s statement.
This rite of passage to adulthood has always forced some underage girls to flee their homes to safe places even as thousands of helpless girls, some as young as nine-year-olds undergo the health-risk rite at the hands of unqualified traditional operators.
On the same note, the groups vowed to mobilize resources to help the administration and the police crackdown on parents out to perpetrate the out-lawed traditional practice.
NGOs such as ActionAid and Adventist Relief Agency (ADRA), seasoned partners in the war against FGM have offered their help to assist girls who are opposed to what has been termed as a backward tradition in this century.
The group appealed to the police to be humane when handling cases of women who have been victims of human rights violations so that they don’t shy away from reporting various forms of abuse meted out to them.
“Some women have been raped and instead of being attended to, they are teased by police officers to an extent that they opt to suffer in silence,” said Boof.
He said girls and women were important pillars of development in the country and their contribution should not be taken for granted by assuming they had no right to protection against various forms of violations.
The government should provide more funds to support safe delivery to enable many mothers who cannot afford charges at private hospitals to benefit from subsidized services offered at public hospitals.
“Public hospitals need enough funds and personnel to handle women and such important days touching on women must be given priority within the County,” said County director of Children Services Mr. Rasto Omollo.
He noted that many Kenyans were poor with limited options for medical insurance covers and the only way to help girls and women access proper medication was to equip public hospitals, as most of them seek services there.
The officer expressed regret that the area boasts the highest number of cases of defilement and sexual abuse of girls, adding that it was also notorious for abuse of young girls who work as house help and as sex tools in brothels and bars.
“We are also overwhelmed with unending cases of illicit and forced marriages of girls as young as 13 to old men and unnecessary school drop out of the girl-child due to neglect and irresponsible acts of parents,” added Omollo during an interview with him today.
By George Agimba
