As the world marked the international FGM day on Saturday it is estimated that 2 million girls will be circumcised each year. Organisations have come up to sensitise communities to end FGM, and giving these communities alternative ways of marking the beginning of womanhood. 

The Minister for Gender Esther Murugi, accompanied by the US ambassador to Kenya Michael Ranneberger, participated in a walk held in Kilgoris in Transmara, with a message to the communities to empower these girls with education.

“The number of girls circumcised each year has reduced,” Murugi stated.

Through an organisation known as 'Cherish Others', girls around Transmara have been educated on the disadvantages of FGM and they have also been able to rescue girls who have been subjected to FGM practices.

According to the director of Cherish Others, Liz Linsien, “The organisation has been able to rescue over 5,000 girls and recently seven girls were rescued. The organisation is taking the girls who are at the prime age to be subjected to FGM through education seminars.

Murugi and the assistant Minister for Cooperative Development Jebbii Kilimo, says the nation needs to do more than educate these communities to end some of the destructive deep rooted cultures.

Michael Ranneberger has asked Kenyans to help in the fight of FGM around the country.

The communities in Kilgoris are mostly the Maasai, and the culture has here states that girl's will only mark the transition to being a woman by going through the knife. Afterwards, chances are a girl as young as 10 years old will be married off.

Studies have revealed that women subjected to FGM will have complications when giving birth and they have higher chances of contracting cervical cancer.