AS the world celebrates International Women’s Day, more than 130 traditional circumcisers in Siha District, Kilimanjaro Region, have decided to abandon the harmful practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) and join economic empowerment groups.

The circumcisers made the decision after receiving training in various economic skills.

Since then, over 1,300 women have joined 51 investment groups, collectively generating an annual income of 100.7m/-.

Veni Swai, Senior Project Manager at the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF), explained that the circumcisers chose to stop the practice after gaining a deeper understanding of its harmful effects.

“We worked hard to educate them about the dangers of FGM, such as excessive bleeding. Over time, they began to understand, but we had to explain it thoroughly. Eventually, they were ready to collaborate with FNF and became advocates for other women,” Veni said.

FNF reached out to numerous traditional circumcisers, with 132 agreeing to cooperate. Some even began reporting FGM cases to the police and other authorities to prevent further mutilations.

“The circumcisers who abandoned the practice now attend year-end FGM ceremonies, where they actively educate families about the need to abandon FGM,” Veni added.

Despite these efforts, FNF reported that some circumcisers attempted to evade government restrictions by altering their methods and performing FGM on newborn babies.

“At one point, we received reports of a woman who had not been circumcised, but when she married into a family that practiced FGM, she was subjected to it during childbirth,” Veni explained.

The women involved in the project have engaged in various economic activities, such as vegetable farming and running small businesses.

“Our ongoing efforts, as FNF, are to continue encouraging influential community members, such as traditional elders, to amplify the message of ending FGM,” Veni stated.

In some villages, local laws have been enacted to help prevent FGM, contributing to the practice’s decline.

The project has been carried out in the Donyoranyi and Karansi wards, with plans to extend the campaign to neighboring wards.

Women from the Maasai community have shared their success stories after receiving economic education, which has helped them overcome financial challenges. Evaline Laitayo said, "I have installed water at my home, my children attend school, and I pay their school fees myself. If I don’t have enough money, I borrow from the group."

In 2021, 240 out of 600 girls from primary and secondary schools in Siha District were reported to have undergone FGM during the school holidays. However, by 2024, only 20 girls had been subjected to the practice.

Veni added, "As we celebrate this day, the message is clear—encouraging change. When communities, civil society organizations, and the government work together, we will create a society free from FGM."

One of the women empowered by the project, Janeth Lukumay, said the groups have helped them stop relying on FGM as a source of income. "I have moved from darkness to light, and I have completely rejected FGM," Janeth said.

In addition to women, men have also received education and abandoned the practice.

Joseph Kivuyo emphasized the importance of cooperation between men and women in the fight against FGM. “When men use force, it disrupts the peace within the family. I urge men to work with women to fight FGM. We now realize that when a girl receives an education, she remembers her father and her home first,” Kivuyo said.