Key Social Norms Take-aways Shifting social norms—particularly around marriageability, sexual morality, and ethnic identity—are central to understanding both persistence and change in female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Kenya’s Narok and Kisii counties. While health risk messaging has increased public awareness, it has not substantially changed norms rooted in tradition, identity, and fear of social sanctions. In Kisii, FGM/C is linked to respectability and belonging, while in Narok, its connection to marriageability is weakening. Interventions that foster community dialogue on values and rights—not just health risks—are essential for sustainable norm change and abandonment of FGM/C.
Objectives The study aimed to examine whether and how social norms and practices related to FGM/C are changing in Narok and Kisii counties in Kenya, regions with high FGM/C prevalence. The focus was on identifying shifts in attitudes, practices, and underlying community beliefs to inform more effective interventions.
Methods A qualitative approach was used, including in-depth interviews, focus group discussions, and observational fieldwork. Participants included community gatekeepers, healthcare workers, government officials, program implementers, parents/guardians, and adolescent girls—both those living in communities and those in rescue centers. The study also reviewed and observed local intervention efforts addressing FGM/C.
Results The research identified four major shifts in FGM/C practices: girls are being cut at younger ages; the practice has become more secretive; less severe forms of cutting are more common; and medicalization of FGM/C is increasing, particularly in Kisii. Social norms supporting FGM/C are evolving—some communities, especially in Narok, now view it as less essential for marriage, while in Kisii it remains closely tied to identity and community respect. Despite legal prohibitions and health awareness campaigns, cultural adherence and fear of ostracism sustain the practice. Interventions tend to emphasize health risks rather than facilitating community reflection on values, rights, and alternatives.
Conclusions Communities in FGM/C hotspots are reassessing the practice in response to legal and social pressures, but cultural norms remain resilient. For interventions to succeed, they must go beyond biomedical risk messaging and instead promote long-term, community-based conversations that challenge the social and cultural foundations of FGM/C. Programs should prioritize coordinated reflection on values, engage local organizations, and be adequately resourced and sustained to support meaningful, community-wide abandonment of the practice.