Kenyan court upholds ban on female genital mutilation

Kenya’s high court refused to allow female circumcision for consenting adults.

The Kenya High Court on Wednesday refused to allow female circumcision for consenting adults, saying unlike the male cut it does not have health benefits and reduces the wellbeing of the woman it is performed on and in some cases can lead to death. The ruling by three High Court justices against the petition filed by Tatu Kamau said evidence presented showed women in the communities that practise female circumcision – widely referred to as female genital mutilation (FGM) because of its adverse effects – do not have a choice. Kamau argued many women want to undergo circumcision, but the law prevents them.