I will be an anti-FGM ambassador, freed convict says

A 72-year-old woman who has been serving three years jail term at Migori GK prison for perpetrating Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) has vowed to campaign against the cultural practice that she had previously supported.

Susan Roiba Nchagwa, who was arrested after she was found guilty of conducting FGM in Kuria, promised to sensitise the Kuria community on the disadvantages of FGM.

“When I go home I will not only live peacefully with my family, I will also teach my community about the disadvantages of FGM,” she said.

Roiba  said that she was now aware of the disadvantages of the vice and the illegality of the outdated cultural rite of passage.

The fight against FGM has heightened in Kenya over the past decade. Despite this, numerous cases have been reported, with medical professionals now conducting back-alley procedures.

In February this year the United Nations (UN) released a report that indicating that over 200 million women worldwide have suffered from genital mutilation.

The practice can cause severe health complications for women, with many reporting difficulties in urination and childbirth after the procedure.

FGM can also lead to excessive bleeding, infections, infertility and death.