• On Monday at the Kenyatta International Conference Center, the initiative was given a major boost to help the women showcase their work internationally.
• Over 200 pastoralist women from Marsabit, Turkana, West Pokot, Samburu, Baringo, Narok, and Kajiado counties attended the launch.
Image: FREDRIC OMONDI
Over the years, the fight against Female Genital Mutilation has been faced with many hurdles.
Among them, the fact that women who circumcise girls often depend on the barbaric act to earn a living.
This makes it hard for Anti-FGM actors to convince them to stop the practice.
In a bid to provide alternative means of livelihood for pastoralist women, Johari Beads was launched in 2019.
On Monday at the Kenyatta International Conference Center, the initiative was given a major boost to help the women showcase their work internationally.
The programme was supported by the Ministry of Sports and Culture through Ushanga Kenya Initiative, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Anti-FGM Board, and Ecobank.
Hellen Nkaissery, Chairperson of Ushanga Kenya, said that the launch was a thing for pastoralist communities to be proud of because it would be a great step towards ending the FGM scourge.
“Pastoralists are regarded as backward because they practice outdated traditions such as FGM. With Johari Beads, we will be able to change this perspective about us and play our role in eradicating FGM in Kenya,” she said.
His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta made a commitment earlier this year at the United Nations Generation Equality Forum to end FGM by 2022.
Nkaissery said that Johari was a great step towards this goal.
She said that the beadwork is also a great way for pastoralist communities to showcase their culture and traditions.
“Stopping the practice of FGM may be seen as abandoning culture by some of these women because us pastoralists are naturally stubborn. Beadwork will be another way to showcase our culture,” she said.
Over 200 pastoralist women from Marsabit, Turkana, West Pokot, Samburu, Baringo, Narok, and Kajiado counties attended the launch.
So far, Nkaissery said, over 5,000 women have benefitted from the initiative and 60 Cooperative Societies formed from this.
ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT
The beadwork made by the women will help them to become economically and culturally empowered.
Sports Cabinet Secretary Amina Mohamed said that the women’s works have already been patented so their talents will not be misused by other people wishing to copy their work.
“Our ministry recognises the importance of patenting and trademarking and so, Johari Beads has been patented so these talented women’s works shall be more valuable,” she said.
She added that Johari Beads will be showcased at the Dubai Expo, Venice Expo in Italy, and the Milan Expo in Spain to earn then more money
First Lady Margaret Kenyatta officially launched the initiative said that Johari Beads had become an emblem of eradicating FGM in the counties where it is most prevalent.
Johari Beads, she said, is also an important economic empowerment tool for women from pastoral regions and Kenyans should support them by buying Kenya and building Kenya.
The First Lady said that the government is committed to supporting this noble agenda because pastoralist women had made the decision to end FGM in their communities.
“The success of the anti-FGM campaign will require more than just the government to but it will also require the help of Kenyans supporting such causes in our communities. We owe this to our women and girls,” she said.
Edited by D Tarus