Mandera Children Department raise concern over rape, early marriages – KBC

The Mandera Children Department has raised serious concern over the increasing number of rape cases in the country.

Mandera County Director of children Abdikadir Haji said a total of 56 cases are currently before the courts and blamed the parents for not willing to volunteer information for either fearing ridicule from members of the family or stigma.

Haji said early pregnancies and marriages have increased during the Covid-19 pandemic in the country.

Area Deputy Commissioner Mandera South noted that FGM is problem in the community and urged the area residents to report any kind of FGM and the government would take stun action.

He said gender inequality and limited formal education, particularly for girls, are among norms that encourage and sustain early child marriages in Mandera.

Residents thanked the children department in protection of their children saying that they were working hard to deal with such cultural practices.

He said Cultural practices, high poverty levels, peer pressure and domestic environment are cited as factors that lead to early marriages and FGM in Mandera County.

Gender norms including girls being expected to be virgins before marriage and women bearing many children for their husbands are also drivers of early marriage in Mandera County.

There is also stigma around women marrying later than the typical age in the community, influencing decisions to marry early.

In Mandera, unmarried women and school going girls are stigmatized if they are not married before the age of 18, with their families and partners experiencing negative social sanctions.