On the 13th of July 2016, DSW participated in a debate about reproductive health rights at the screening of ‘Warriors’, a documentary following a group of young Maasai men from rural Kenya who formed a cricket team.
Apart from telling the story of the cricket team, ‘Warriors’ highlights the issues of female genital mutilation and early marriage, two issues that are prevalent in male dominated Maasai community.
Notably, eliminating female genital mutilation was underscored as an essential step to realizing sustainable development goal number 5, gender equality.
DSW’s Imali Ngusale joined a discussant panel to amplify the fact that every young girl has a right to live as a full human being with control over her own body and informed choice.
Other members of the panel included Sietske Steneker, Director of UNFPA, Dagmar Schumacher the Director of UN Women in Brussels, and Barney Douglas, Executive Director of the film from the United Kingdom. The session was chaired by chaired by Caroline Petit, the Deputy-Director of UN Regional Information Centre in Brussels.
The panelists put into perspective the need for more advocacy work on Sexual Reproductive health rights in specific those that voice out the rights of young women and girls.
“There are currently 29 countries which practice FGM,” said Sietske Steneker, Director of UNFPA, while explaining the prevalence of FGM globally.
Kenya ranks 15 out of the 19 states that are currently practicing Female Genital Mutilation. Given that FGM is practiced among the youth, the session was befitting to inject sentiments from young people.
“There are over 200 Million girls who have undergone the cut and 30 Million more who may have to endure the horrific act if we do nothing,” said Imali, DSW’s Advocacy Officer from the East African Regional Office based in Kenya.
DSW is currently working in East Africa to help young women and girls realize their SRHR rights. It is envisaged that in the long run the international agreements that bring universal condemnation to FGM will be reinforced so as to tackle cultural behaviors that sponsor a practice against the rights of women.
The movie screening attracted an audience of 200 participants from different parts of Europe and highlighted about the significant role men ought to play in championing the reproductive rights of women.
To learn more about ‘Warriors’, visit this link
(Written by Imali Ngusale; Edited by Collins Baswony)
