Kenya – A catholic diocese in Kenya is promoting the establishment of an “alternative rite of passage”. By organising by-yearly classes for young girls and a subsequent ceremony, the development workers are seeking to replace genital mutilation as a part of the traditional rite of passage without eradicating the tradition of formally welcoming a girl to womanhood completely.
In the course of their passage, girls spend a week away from their families, being taught about tradition food preparation and medicine, before taking part in a ceremonial event that completes their passage.
As a result, the rate of girls married at very young age has declined, and the clerics hope that FGM rates will go down in the future.