Publication:

Effects of genital mutilation on discipline of girls in Primary schools in Kibumbu Mungoni zone in Tharaka Nithi county.

The aim of this research project is to find out the impact of female genital mutilation on the discipline of girls in primary schools in Kibumbu Mungoni zone in Tharaka Nithi County. Female genital mutilation is the partial or total removal of external genitalia (WHO, 1995). It results in immediate physical problems for example, intense pain and hemorrhage that can lead to shock during and after the procedure. Hemorrhage can also lead to anaemia, wound infection including tetanus infection, damage to adjoining organs from the use of blunt instruments by unskilled operators and urine retention from blockage of urethra (KOSO THOMAS 1987). According to Rushwan.H. (1996) it also leads to long term complications like painful or blocked menses, recurrent urinary tract infections, dermoid cysts and keloid scars. The effects of F.G.M outlined above can lead to indiscipline in girls who undergo the process. This is as a result of psychological and emotional pain they go through making the girls to become rude and arrogant to the teachers and peers. The objective of this research is to find out the impact of F.G.M on; class attendance, discipline, academic performance, transition to the next level of education after F.G.M and if there are administrative or educational arrangements to assist the students after undergoing F.G.M to advance their studies. The study has used descriptive survey design to collect data and questionnaires on literate girls and teachers. The target populations are girls in upper primary. Ten percent of the students from ten schools have been sampled from every school. Through the head teacher, they were given questionnaires in two groups of 10 girls each aged between the age of ten to fourteen years. The study proves whether the believe that the majority of the girls with indiscipline cases were the ‘cut’ girls because it is believed that during the F.G.M ritual period, girls are taught to behave like adults thus cannot take orders from their seniors and teachers. The girls are believed to be rude, disrespectful and arrogant thus could not take instructions from parents and teachers leading to indiscipline and increase in school dropout rate of the girls because it is believed that they feel too mature to start a family.