Socio-economic Drivers of Female Genital Cutting Among the Abakuria of Migori County, Kenya

Abstract

This is a cross-sectional descriptive study on drivers of female genital cutting among the Abakuria of Migori County, Kenya. The specific objectives of the study include; document the social and economic factors that influence persistence of female genital cutting and establishing the extent to which social and economic factors. The study is premised on structural functionalism theory. The study was conducted with 30 women aged between 18 and 55 years who are purposively sampled and snow-balled. Data was collected through case narrative, focus group discussion and key informant interviews and analyzed thematically in line with the study objectives. Findings show that the persistence of FGM/C is under the influence of embedded social and economic factors. The social factors include need to conform to social ‘order’ of FGM/C, stigma for nonconformity, social pressures, FGM/C as a precondition for marriage and the perceptions on a women’s sexuality. The economic factors include the financial gain that comes with value of circumcised women especially during marriage and the gain for practitioners. Although many societies have criminalized the practice of FGM/C, there are socio-economic barriers that frustrate the fight against the practice. It is recommended that stakeholders, through participatory way, hold consultative meeting to increase community buy-in on the need to abandon the practice.