Hope Beyond the Hijab as Muslim Women Rise to Defend Girls’ Health and Choices. » Capital News

KISII, Kenya, Aug 5 – While early marriage rates are still high in northern Kenya, Nyanza and Rift valley regions, this practice still affects young girls in urban such as Nairobi particularly in poorer ,low-education and some Muslim communities.

In Nairob’s informal settlements such as Kibera, Korogocho adolescent girls often engage in sexual activity as early as ten years leading to unintended pregnancies and early marriages against their wish.

According to the 2022 Kenya Demographic Survey 15 per cent of women aged 15-19 have ever been pregnant,12 per cent have a live birth, one per cent loss and three are currently pregnant

When Dreams are Traded for Dowry and Tradition

Najib, a Muslim girl from Eastleigh , Nairobi was married at the of 16 to a 40 year old man chosen by her parents. She faced intense family pressure as she had no time to make her own decision.

She dropped out of school and forced to moving into her husband’s household after two cowers were paid for her dowry price. Najib was involved into sexual relation and not long she got pregnant for her first born child.

“I had difficult times in this marriage, got defiled not ones but several times by my husband ,I cried every time this man was around but no help came through,” she says.

In her early days into this marriage, she got pregnant and spent most her pregnancy times in hospital following the complications she faced and even the doctors recommended her not to have sex with her partner but this did not stop

After giving birth, she says, the husband and in-laws convinced her not to attend medical check-ups even when she lost a lot of blood and at some point she experienced pass and fetid smell coming out of her private parts.

Life became unbearable, her husband locked her up not to seek medication during the postpartum, she became mentally tortured and even developed hatred towards her son.

Healing after harm, a fresh start in breaking the cycle for the next generation.

“The neighbors sneaked me out and accompanied me to a health care facility where I was treated and discharged, coming home was unmorsity ,they mocked and beat me up for disclosing what I was undergoing. ” says Najib.

Najib managed to escape and landed in the hands of good Samaritan who took care of her, she was able to go back to school, felt in love, remarried and now she is mentoring young girls on sexual reproductive rights.

Adem Mohammed a team leader at Vikra moja youth groupwas born in between so many girls and he watched his sisters painfully getting into forced marriages at early age and gender based violence and no one stood to defend them, he swore after high school he will stand up for young girls and say no to early marriages in her community.

At Vikra Moja they have managed to implemented a number of projects while advocating for on sexual reproductive health rights and peace building among community members .

“We recently ran a successful campaign ‘red card kw grao’ sending a message to our community how tired we are as youths in living in Eatleigh ,how tired we are with Sexual Gender Based Violence(SGBV) such as early marriages, FGM rape and defilement.” Says Mohammed.

The community has experienced several cases of SGBV and the perpetrators are very close people to the victims and those cases go unreported to the authorities as those who are supposed to speak out hide behind the religion aspect.

“we have submitted our petition and also approached the Kenya National Human Rights commission with written demands.

Early pregnancies and severe health complications

Reproductive health services at Kisii Teaching and Referral Hospital Elizabeth Nyabicha says teenage pregnancy is a problem from the Kenya Demographic Health Survey KDHS survey.

Nyabicha says early pregnancy can pose serious health risks and complications for teenage mothers due to physical, emotional and social immaturity

“This girls are too young and they will experience complications during pregnancy and as a girl they need micronutrients and nutrients, with will be difficult to carry pregnancy and share the nutrients with the unborn child.

During labor there is a likely hood of having postpartum hemorrhage leading to complications and even death of the mother.

Complication for teen mothers during pregnancy may lead to high blood pressure disorders which are common during teen pregnancies and this can lead to seizures, organ failure or even death.
Recommendations on legal protection and implementation of SRHR gaps

Kenya Legal Ethical Issues Network on HIV/AIDS (KELIN) SRHR program officer- Elsie Milimu recommends for Kenya to develop research on the effectiveness of MOH’s development of these tools and resources including against the alleged lack of buy in from the MOE.

“The Government should review and address legal, policy, and structural barriers that hinder access to sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information and services such as consent for adolescents, young people, people with disabilities (PWDs) and key populations vulnerable to HIV,” she said

The Government should also re-commit to implementing the Eastern and Southern Africa (ESA) ministerial commitments to the provision of youth friendly services and sexuality education to sustain and enhance SRHR outcomes for adolescents and young people, promoting their holistic development.

Kenya National Commission on Human Rights(KNCHR) Dr.Bernard Mogesa says there is an urgent need for legal literacy campaigns targeting Muslim communities to increase awareness of constitutional SRHR rights (e.g., access to family planning, protection from FGM and child marriage.

“we need to translation and contextualization of SRHR laws into Kiswahili and local languages, framed within Islamic principles to increase understanding and acceptance. Training for legal aid providers and paralegals within Muslim-majority regions to support rights claims and access to justice on SRHR issues,” he says

He recommended for an engagement with religious leaders (imams, sheikhs) to clarify Islamic teachings that support health, family planning, and protection from harm, have faith-sensitive community dialogues that incorporate both health experts and religious scholars to reduce resistance to SRHR messaging.Training of female community health workers (CHWs) as SRHR champions to engage households and educate women and girls

Kisii Woman rep Dorice Aburi says early marriages should be discouraged and castigated with all costs saying no girl should be married off even if she has given birth at a young age, she has her whole career a head of her.

“no one should be harsh on the side of contraceptives ,these girls should be told what contraceptives are and we should not abbreviate lessons when it comes to SRHR, we need a right to this information,” says the woman rep.

She adds, when educating young girls on SRHR it should not be misinterpreted to be prostitution but they need to know what is good for their bodies when it comes to sex education.

“We should always teach the young girls on prevention when it comes to STI, have responsible parenthood and people have informed choices,” she says.