In the run-up to the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation on Sunday, countries around the world are calling for an end to the globally condemned practice. In Kenya, around 4 million women and girls have been subjected to FGM, according to the United Nations.
Prevalence rates vary greatly by region and ethnicity – from a largely non-practicing west and central Kenya to a 98 percent observance in the country's northeast. A school in Kajiado County works with local authorities to protect girls and let them know their rights.
Grace was subjected to the practice at just nine years old. Remembering the trauma, she said: "I was caught off-guard when they woke me up late at night, around 2am. They ordered me to undress and forcibly performed the cut."
Agnes Leina, executive director of the Il'laramatak Community Concerns, said, "The biggest challenge is that FGM is a traditional ceremony. It's their culture. It's the core of their culture and to remove culture from a person is not easy."
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