Learning through social interaction: Kenyan women against female genital cutting in Kenya

Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is a human rights issue that involves the partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. Drawing on in-depth interview data collected in 2017 with 20 women from three FGC-practising ethnic groups in Kenya, I argue that informal learning through social interaction plays a critical role in the ability of Kenyan women to oppose and work against FGC in their communities. In addition to knowledge gained through formal education such as schooling and anti-FGC campaigns, women learned about FGC and ways to resist the practice through social interaction with family members, role models and peers from non-FGC practising communities. These interactions have framed challenging FGC as a worthy behaviour to pursue. They also helped women reframe 'success.' While a hallmark of being a successful woman has traditionally been tied to FGC, through these interactions, women learned that they can achieve a respected status as a woman without undergoing FGC. Finally, they provided support for women to stay resilient in resisting FGC. Overall, informal learning is important for understanding how some Kenyan women resist FGC.