by JOYCE J. WANGUI
Victim of FGM and early marriage. PHOTO/Joyce J. Wangui
Though the name Lilian Mogiti Nyandoro may not mean much to those in Nairobi where she is based, in a small village in Kimana, Oloitoktok District her name speaks volumes. She has demystified the female gender. She has helped local women regain their dignity and brings smiles to their faces.
In this region, women had always succumbed to male patriarchy. The practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) had been an accepted norm, but not anymore. Lilian has ensured that men and women alike are slowly abandoning the barbaric act. Girls in the area praise the anti-FGM crusader and her organization for rescuing them from the knife. As the world marked the International Day of Zero Tolerance to FGM on February 6, an elated group of Maasai women could not hide their appreciation for this unsung heroine.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the practice of FGM includes 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. FGM is linked to increased complications in childbirth and even maternal deaths. Other side effects include severe pain, hemorrhage, tetanus, infection, infertility, cysts and abscesses, urinary incontinence, and psychological and sexual problems. Since the early 1990s, FGM has gained recognition as a health and human rights issue.
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