Alternative rite of passage as a local intervention for female genital cutting

Abstract

In this thesis, the alternative rite of passage (ARP) of the African health organization AMREF is studied. ARP can be seen as a local intervention for female genital cutting (FGC) among Maasai communities in Kajiado County, Kenya. The design and implementation of ARP is influenced by the discourses of local actors who are influenced by global processes. Overall, this thesis shows that ARP is a highly context- and time bound intervention for FGC and cultural change, in this case we thus refer to ARP among Maasai communities, cannot be adequately confined to a mere distinction between heterogeneity and homogeneity as some writers have argued. Rather, it shows that rituals and practices during ARP can be seen as an outcome of the mutual interaction between Maasai communities, AMREF and other stakeholders which makes ARP context-specific, dynamic and complex.