One of the objectives of S.A.F.E., FAWCO’s current Target Project, is to “Empower five local communities to adopt positive social norms which uphold the human rights and health of all community members through community sensitization and public declarations against female genital mutilation (FGM) by respected community leaders during two annual Alternative Rites of Passage (ARP) ceremonies over the two years of the project.”
But what does Alternative Rites of Passage (ARP) mean?
It is regarded as an “alternative to female initiation into womanhood, but without FGM.” Lotte Hughes[1], in 2018, said that it “may be read as a newly-invented ritual that aims to replicate or mimic certain aspects of the traditional initiation process, but without the physical cut.”
The act of genital mutilation is practiced in many communities as a moment of transitioning girls from childhood to womanhood, and through this process, enhancing a girl’s marriageability. It is seen as proof of her strength and bravery and allows her to gain respect from other women. Hope for Girls and Women Tanzania (HGWT) has been challenging this traditional process and beliefs for a number of years, leading to the introduction of Alternative Rites of Passage ceremonies in their outreach. The ceremonies have many of the aspects of the traditional ceremonies, but without the cutting. It celebrates girls as they make their way into womanhood, but instead of risking their lives through the unsafe, unregulated and illegal practice of FGM, the alternative ceremony focuses on the qualities of each individual and encourages their hopes for the future.
ARP was first introduced in Kenya during the 1990s. The “new” process focused on the education of the family with emphasis on the role of women and girls in society, as well as a public celebration with an exchange of gifts.
Amref Health Africa is working in a number of African countries and has done work on social transformation with the vision to end FGM. ARP is one of their objectives:
- To support the development and implementation of community-owned laws and policies against FGM;
- To change community beliefs and perceptions on FGM;
- To provide an alternative rite of passage that is safe and acceptable to the community for integrating girls to a redefined social order.
28TooMany emphasizes that the whole community should be involved to ensure that there are sustainable behavioral changes: community leaders, religious leaders, cutters, families and villagers should be consulted in the discussion and planning of the ceremonies. If not, a sense of distrust can develop which will undermine the value of the alternative process.
The COVID-19 pandemic hampered the development of big community events as originally planned by HGWT, but it did not prevent the events from happening at all. The staff of HGWT partnered with the various communities and managed to organize a number of smaller ARP events, both at the Safe Houses and in a number of villages, and enabled 915 girls to go through an ARP event until the end of November 2021. More ARP events are being planned for January and February 2022 upon completion of the cutting season and reconciliation between girls and their families.
Finally, ARP ceremonies always need to be seen as one of several interventions that organizations and communities can implement in the fight to eliminate FGM by 2030. Educating communities on FGM and the effects of the practice, but also addressing the human rights aspect, will remain the cornerstone in eliminating FGM by 2030.
Sources:
- https://copfgm.org/alternative-rites-of-passage
- https://hopeforgirlsandwomen.com/alternative-rites-of-passage/
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1701216319310722
- https://www.28toomany.org/blog/2018/mar/7/do-alternative-rites-of-passage-arp-approaches-work
[1] Lotte Hughes is a freelance journalist and historian, with a particular interest in the Maasai of East Africa and oral history.