Episode 1 Extreme Wives with Kate Humble


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This programme contains some scenes which some viewers may find upsetting

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Wow.

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'I've spent time in many different countries....'

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What a place to be!

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'..getting to know people from vastly different cultures.'

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So do the men sew as well? Will your husband sew?

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SHE LAUGHS

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'And one thing that's often struck me...

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'..is that the roles men and women play in society

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'give great insight into their way of life..

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OK.

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'And how the everyday roles of women in particular

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'reveal a society's values,

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'whether they be determined by religion, status...

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'..or tradition.'

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As a white, middle-class girl growing up in Britain,

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I know that I was enormously privileged.

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I was free to make choices, to be independent, to state opinions.

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But for many of the world's women, perhaps the majority,

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circumstances are very different.

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'So in this series I've travelled to three very different places

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'where the roles of women are exceptional, complex

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'and even extreme.

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'The matrilineal Khasi people in northern India,

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'where it's the women who take on positions of power.'

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You're like a very strict headmistress.

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'The intensely private ultra-orthodox Haredim in Israel,

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'where women's lives are governed by strict religious laws.

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'But first, I'm in Kenya in East Africa,

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'where women are caught right on the fault line

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'between age-old tradition and the modern world.'

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How do you go and find a man?

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LAUGHTER

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Is this dangerous for you, Susan?

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We're driving south-west across the country,

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right up to the Tanzanian border,

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and that area is the heartland

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of a people known as the Kuria.

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They're quite a small number of people.

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About half a million altogether.

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'Traditionally, the Kuria were cattle-herding warriors.

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'Today, they are generally agricultural crop farmers,

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'but cattle remain important as currency, especially in marriage.'

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They're polygamous, so the men will marry a number of wives.

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But the thing that's really fascinating

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is that they practise woman to woman marriage.

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So, why do they do it?

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Is it a sexual thing?

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What advantages are there to a community for women to marry women?

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Hi!

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'After an eight-hour drive from Kenya's capital Nairobi,

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'we're finally in Kuria district.

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'Home for the next three weeks.

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'In its fertile hills nestle small farming communities.

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'And it's on one of these farms that I've been invited to stay

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'with a large extended family that practises woman to woman marriage.'

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This is where Lillian lives.

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-That's the house over there.

-OK.

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-And, actually, this is the family farm.

-This one here?

-Yeah.

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-So this must be family members.

-OK.

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Hello! Jambo!

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'Peter Murimi is helping us access this community.

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'He's a journalist in Nairobi but is Kuria and grew up here.'

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As you'll find out, it's really a big family.

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When you say a big family, how many people?

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I think 20, easily.

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-Really?

-Yeah.

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Everyone looking shy.

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'The family is headed by husband Mosenda.'

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Good to meet you.

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'And wife Paulina.'

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Yeah, Kate.

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'While Mosenda has taken extra wives,

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'what's extraordinary here is that so has his wife Paulina.'

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Paulina?

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Paulina.

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'The tradition where women marry women is called nyumba mboke.

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'Paulina is married to two women.'

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-Are you Lillian?

-Yeah.

-I've heard much about you.

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'Her first wife is Lillian, who's now 30 and half Paulina's age.

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'And her second wife is 21-year-old Faith.'

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You can teach me everything about how this family works.

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'Woman to woman marriages exist across Africa.

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'In this village, at least ten of the 100 families are nyumba mboke.'

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A-ha. So this is the kitchen here.

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So what is cooking?

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-Chai.

-Chai?

-Yeah.

-A-ha.

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'This farm is made up of eight separate households.'

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So this is your son's house?

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Big. The boys get the big houses.

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'But all of them connect back to Mosenda.

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'It's an incredibly complicated web of relationships

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'that's going to take some working out.'

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So, if I get this right...

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Paulina is your wife.

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She's the first wife.

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You took a second wife, is that right?

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Now, you see,

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my husband would say that one wife is quite enough trouble.

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Did you, then stop at two, or did you have any more wives?

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LAUGHTER

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How many more? Two more? So you have four altogether?

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Mosenda, how do you have time?

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LAUGHTER

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So after you married, when did you have your first child?

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And is it very important

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for you to have a son?

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OK. So I'm beginning to understand now.

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So because your son had died,

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he wouldn't bring a daughter-in-law here

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and so that's when you decided...

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you needed a nyumba mboke.

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Have I understood that right?

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'In the polygamist system here each wife looks after her own household.

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'Mosenda has sons and daughters-in-law

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'through his other wives, but because Paulina's only son died,

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'she's been left alone without any support as she gets older.'

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When you decided you wanted, or you needed a nyumba mboke,

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how did you meet Lillian?

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Then, Paulina,

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you decided to get a second nyumba mboke...

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..who is Faith.

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'So it sounds like Lillian and Faith are essentially replacement

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'daughters-in-law, brought into the household to provide physical help

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'and especially to bear sons - male heirs for Paulina.

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'I can understand what Paulina gets out of this,

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'but it's less clear what's in it for the younger women.'

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-Oh, Faith, is this your room?

-Yes.

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Hi.

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Hello. Hello, little person.

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So this is where you stay?

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And who is this?

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Robi?

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Hi, Robi.

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And, Faith, who is Robi's father?

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No father? OK.

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'Like so many young nyumba mboke brides,

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'Faith was made to marry Paulina

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'because she got pregnant out of wedlock.

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'But I know this wasn't the case for Lillian,

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'who's lived here as Paulina's wife for 11 years.

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When you became Paulina's nyumba mboke...

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..what is the arrangement?

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And how old were you...

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when your parents

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arranged this marriage with Paulina?

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So, Lillian, are you telling me that you didn't want to be

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a nyumba mboke?

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Because if I understand it right, if you had married a man,

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your parents would still have had a dowry for you.

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So why did they choose for you to marry a woman

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and not a man?

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You have to continue the family line,

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so do you have children with Mosenda?

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No?

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OK.

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SHE LAUGHS

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So how...?

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If, like, if you meet a nice lover,

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someone who looks after you,

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who doesn't just get you pregnant all the time,

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can you leave this family

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and start a proper relationship with him?

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'It's pretty shocking when you hear

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'from a girl's mouth that she was,'

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to all intents and purposes, sold.

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That a daughter here is a commodity.

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'And in Lillian's case,

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'she was worth more as a wife, if that's the right word,'

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to another woman than she was as a wife to a husband,

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and that she had no choice in that matter.

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'These nyumba mboke relationships aren't sexual.

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'Lillian is heterosexual,

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'but if she were to ever fall in love with a man,

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'she'd never be able to leave Paulina for a relationship with him.

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'To me that seems very sad.

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'But perhaps that's just my Western romanticism.'

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So this? This one?

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Do you take the whole thing? No.

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You have all this?

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No. Really?

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OK. So.. And then beans?

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'Within this community, there are rigid roles for boys and girls.'

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There we are.

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We're doing a good job.

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'Sons never leave the family home.

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'They provide daughters-in-law to help ageing parents.'

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That's for you. Who are we missing now?

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'And inherit their father's land.'

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So this boy? Yeah?

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There we go. That's for you.

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'Kuria girls, on the other hand, must leave home when they marry

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'to bear children for the husband's family.'

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Here you are, little one. That's for you.

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'At the end of my first day on Mosenda's farm,

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'I'm left wondering whether there are any positives

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'for the young nyumba mboke brides.'

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'The nyumba mboke system seems to be firmly rooted in this community.

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'But there's another tradition here which is even more entrenched.

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'Since the time of their ancient ancestors,

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'Kuria people have circumcised both boys and girls

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'as an important rite of passage into adulthood.'

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'In this predominantly Christian area,

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'the Church is at the heart of current debate

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'around female circumcision,

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'also known as female genital mutilation.

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'Since 2011, FGM has been illegal in Kenya.'

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'Lillian, like many women from her generation, has been circumcised.'

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The pastor talked about FGM today.

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What do you think the congregation,

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the men and the women that were there, thought of that message?

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So do you think that attitudes are starting to change?

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'I'm here in Kuria at the start of the boys' circumcision season,

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'which usually lasts for two weeks and happens every other year.'

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Hi!

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Just to get this straight,

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the circumcision of boys is completely legal in Kenya, isn't it?

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Completely.

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Erm, and the circumcision of girls...

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is now against the law?

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It is illegal to circumcise a girl.

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'Although illegal, it's been reported that FGM

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'still takes place in this community.

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'Pete has been campaigning against female circumcision since 2001

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'and he's keen to show me just how deep-rooted it is in Kuria culture.'

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From the outside, it seems, you know, so simple.

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FGM's a brutal practice.

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It's mutilating...

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..and effectively abuse of a minor.

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It shouldn't happen.

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But it gets more complicated

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when you begin to understand the custom,

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-the significance of that custom.

-It is.

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Circumcised?

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Oh, poor little things.

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Out the right,

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you've got boys wearing, kind of, capes and bleeding.

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'We've come across a male circumcision procession

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'and, as it's legal, it's being celebrated

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'in a very public and noisy ceremony.'

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CHILDREN SCREAM AND CHANT

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Can you tell me what has happened? Oh, these poor little boys!

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Oh, my goodness.

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-They have been circumcised.

-Did you do the circumcising?

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-Yeah.

-Can you tell me the importance of this ceremony?

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Now they've become men? OK, OK.

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Oh, my goodness, they do look like they're very much in pain.

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THEY ALL SCREAM AND CHANT

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So, did you go through this ceremony?

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-Yeah.

-You did?

-Yeah.

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You look like the memories are coming flooding back.

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Really?

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When it happened to you,

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is there a real pressure on you to be, kind of, as brave as possible?

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-Did you cry?

-No.

-Didn't you?

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From what you were telling me about the huge importance

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and significance of circumcision for men...

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..does that go some way into explaining why there...

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..are still girls being circumcised,

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despite the fact that it's against the law?

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The issue with FGM is about identity and for very many Kuria people,

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it could be men and women alike,

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they feel if there is no circumcision for men

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and FGM for girls, like, they lose a bit of their identity.

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-OK.

-So that's creating some resistance.

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'Because boys are seen as more important in Kuria culture,

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'they're always circumcised a few days before the girls.

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'So with the male circumcision season already under way...

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'..there's a very real possibility that Kuria's girls will be next.

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'The region's anti-FGM movement is out in force.

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'The organiser of the rally is a Kuria woman - Susan Matinde Thomas.'

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Was there a reason that you particularly wanted to do this

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very loud demonstration now?

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'We've heard that more efforts are being made

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'by the authorities this year to clamp down on FGM.'

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'And police patrol vehicles are flanking Susan's campaign bus.'

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Can you tell me what you think about this procession?

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Were you cut?

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Is there anybody here who wants to be cut?

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No-one?

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And is that because of school? Yeah. Yeah.

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'From what I'm hearing, it seems that the law is working here,

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'and this community really is buying into the change.'

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And so no girls in this village will be cut this season?

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How will you feel if you have a wife who is very strong,

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-has had a good education?

-I will be happy.

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You will be happy? Remember he said this. You were witnesses.

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'But Pete's been speaking to some young men who have a different

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'take on things, and he's asked us to keep our camera at a distance

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'so we don't draw attention to them.'

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The ladies who were telling me that the girls will not be cut

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in this village, is that true or not true?

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OK.

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And do you know anyone in this village who maybe, you think,

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might be circumcised?

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Any girl?

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How many?

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OK. Thank you.

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Wow. OK. That was unexpected.

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It felt like everyone was very on message in this village.

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Everybody was really against it.

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'So now I'm left wondering whether this community

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'will act in accordance with the law,

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'or revert back to the tradition

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'that has defined Kuria for centuries.'

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'It's 6:00am and I'm back with Lillian.

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'And some of her nyumba mboke friends.

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'They are a close-knit group.

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'We're heading to work on a farm an hour and a half's walk away.

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'A journey they make almost every day.'

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No.

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No babies.

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They're too scary.

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Too much trouble.

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LAUGHTER

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'I want to understand how nyumba mboke women survive financially...

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'..without a husband to help support their families.

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So, Dorica, this one is bad?

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-This one is bad.

-That one's bad. I'm taking that one out.

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-But this one is good, yes?

-Yeah.

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-And this one is good?

-Yeah.

-Quite confusing.

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How many people are you supporting on the money you earn?

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-Six.

-Six people.

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So that's you, your four children...

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-And my five kids.

-Your five kids.

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Yeah.

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Is there anyone else in the family that is also working

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to help you... to help you bring in money?

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-So it's only you?

-Yeah.

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So, as a nyumba mboke,

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I think one of your main duties is to have children.

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Talk me through this.

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How do you go and find a man?

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LAUGHTER

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Would you want your daughters to be nyumba mboke?

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Why not?

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If any of you could change the law,

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would you make the nyumba mboke system illegal?

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You would? Would you? Really?

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Do you think it will change?

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'While cultural traditions are being challenged in Kuria

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'and there is a growing movement against nyumba mboke,

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'the current focus is on FGM.

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'While the Kenyan government supports the circumcision of boys,

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'even claiming it's helping in the fight against HIV...

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CHEERING

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'..the illegal circumcision of girls has no medical benefit whatsoever.

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'The opposite, in fact.

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'It can be life-threatening.

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'The practice of FGM can range from the removal of the clitoris...

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'..to the most extreme procedure,

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'which reduces the entrance to the vagina.

0:31:430:31:46

'It creates all kinds of horrific medical problems,

0:31:470:31:51

'sometimes resulting in death.'

0:31:510:31:54

Susan!

0:31:550:31:56

'I'm meeting up with Susan, who led the anti-FGM rally,

0:31:580:32:02

'to find out why she's prepared to put herself at risk

0:32:020:32:06

'in her fight to stop FGM.'

0:32:060:32:09

Can you remember what...

0:32:210:32:24

that circumcision was like?

0:32:240:32:27

'Like so many women, Susan's FGM has resulted in lifelong problems.

0:33:430:33:49

'After nearly dying from extreme blood loss,

0:33:510:33:54

'she was so mutilated that she had to have surgery.'

0:33:540:33:58

'At least 200 million women and girls alive today

0:34:190:34:24

'across 30 countries have undergone female genital mutilation.

0:34:240:34:30

'Here in Kenya, numbers are slowly going down.

0:34:340:34:38

'But those most at risk are girls in poor rural areas like Kuria.

0:34:380:34:44

'We've been travelling along this road almost every day

0:35:010:35:04

'but this morning there seems to be a lot more activity than usual.

0:35:040:35:09

'Samson Morua is in charge of our security.'

0:35:110:35:14

Did you see that group of people up above the road?

0:35:150:35:19

And do you think that was a circumcision party?

0:35:200:35:23

And do you think it was for a girl?

0:35:240:35:26

What made you think it was for girls?

0:35:270:35:30

So, Peter, do you think this is now, basically,

0:35:400:35:44

the start...

0:35:440:35:46

of the female...

0:35:460:35:48

circumcision season?

0:35:480:35:51

Yes.

0:35:510:35:52

Hm. OK.

0:35:520:35:54

'It really is shocking, despite it being against the law,

0:36:010:36:06

'it looks like FGM is still here.

0:36:060:36:09

'As we reach the outskirts of a small town,

0:36:150:36:18

'we notice lots of young girls being rushed around on motorbikes.

0:36:180:36:22

'The atmosphere feels very tense.'

0:36:270:36:30

So, I am trying to understand

0:36:310:36:35

why circumcision for girls

0:36:350:36:38

is so important.

0:36:380:36:40

'Samson's warned us to be careful and to keep our camera discreet.'

0:36:400:36:45

I don't know whether there is someone, whether I can talk to you,

0:36:490:36:53

as young men, or...

0:36:530:36:55

erm, if there are any women that I can talk to.

0:36:550:36:59

Can you explain to me why you will even break the law to do this

0:37:000:37:05

because it's so important for your custom?

0:37:050:37:08

MEN SHOUT

0:38:030:38:05

Let's go. Let's go.

0:38:280:38:30

Let's go. Let's go.

0:38:300:38:32

Let's go. Let's go, let's go, let's go.

0:38:320:38:35

Let's go, let's go, let's go.

0:38:360:38:38

'From what those young men told me,

0:38:590:39:01

'FGM's much more than a rite of passage.

0:39:010:39:05

'It sounds like it's about men controlling women's sexuality.

0:39:050:39:10

'And it looks like the change in the law

0:39:110:39:13

'has simply driven FGM underground.'

0:39:130:39:16

They're willing to go to war...

0:39:210:39:23

-..to...

-To let FGM continue.

-To let FGM continue.

0:39:240:39:27

Wow.

0:39:270:39:28

'We've driven to the local Kuria East police station.'

0:39:420:39:46

-Should I come with you or...?

-Yes, please.

-OK.

0:39:460:39:49

'But they've asked us not to film inside the building.'

0:39:490:39:53

'Tensions are running so high,

0:39:590:40:01

'the local police chief has said we should leave the area.'

0:40:010:40:04

Why is he asking us to be escorted out of town by a police car?

0:40:070:40:12

Clearly, attitudes to FGM are changing.

0:40:350:40:39

But...

0:40:390:40:41

..it is going to take time.

0:40:420:40:44

Oh, God, it's really complicated.

0:40:450:40:47

TEARFULLY: I'm sorry, Pete.

0:40:510:40:53

Can you stop?

0:40:530:40:55

Walk with me just for two minutes.

0:41:020:41:04

'Pete's been campaigning against FGM for years.

0:41:060:41:09

'So what we've witnessed today is particularly hard on him.

0:41:100:41:14

THEY BOTH CRY

0:41:140:41:17

I can completely understand why, for you, it's so frustrating

0:41:360:41:42

and...and...

0:41:420:41:43

'I'm meeting the Deputy County Commissioner for Kuria West,

0:42:070:42:10

'Sebastien Okiring,

0:42:100:42:12

'to find out what his department is doing to tackle FGM.'

0:42:120:42:17

As a security team in Kuria West, what did we do?

0:42:180:42:22

We made arrangements to remove the circumcisers...

0:42:230:42:26

-..from the society.

-But not all of them.

0:42:270:42:29

Of course, we cannot remove all of them.

0:42:290:42:32

So we have made an attempt to remove the circumcisers.

0:42:320:42:35

We have made an attempt to arrest the elders who propagate FGM.

0:42:350:42:39

These things persist for commercial reasons.

0:42:400:42:43

-Commercial reasons?

-Commercial reasons.

-Why do you say that?

0:42:430:42:46

I say that because the elders are very keen on this rite of passage

0:42:460:42:52

-because they make money out of it.

-How?

0:42:520:42:54

For every girl circumcised,

0:42:540:42:57

they charge 1,000 Kenyan shillings.

0:42:570:43:00

The elders charge... So if you have 3,000 girls,

0:43:000:43:03

that is a whopping 3 million shillings within one month.

0:43:030:43:07

The elders make the poor families believe

0:43:070:43:10

that if they circumcise their girl at age 12 to 14,

0:43:100:43:15

they are able to marry her off and get ten herds of cattle.

0:43:150:43:18

The existence of the council of elders makes this thing persist.

0:43:180:43:24

OK.

0:43:240:43:25

'It's the clan elders who protect Kuria culture and traditions.

0:43:280:43:32

'And it seems that it's also the elders who are perpetuating FGM.

0:43:330:43:39

'Pete's persuaded a local council of elders to meet us.'

0:43:440:43:49

Oh, my goodness, look at this!

0:43:490:43:51

This is a welcoming party.

0:43:510:43:53

Oh, my word!

0:43:530:43:55

'This welcoming ceremony is part of Kuria's ancient religion,

0:43:560:44:00

'which is ruled over by their God, Eresa.'

0:44:000:44:04

It's a marriage proposal. It's enough to turn a girl's head.

0:44:040:44:07

'And, according to his believers,

0:44:140:44:16

'Eresa has the power to curse those who are not circumcised

0:44:160:44:20

'or stand in his way.'

0:44:200:44:22

I wanted to ask you about the role of women in Kuria society.

0:44:340:44:39

For example, we have the council of elders here, and they are all men.

0:44:390:44:45

Do you think women are wise enough

0:44:450:44:48

to be consulted on everyday life,

0:44:480:44:52

to ask their advice, in the way that people ask you?

0:44:520:44:56

Who? The women.

0:44:580:45:00

So who protects the women?

0:45:080:45:10

Right.

0:45:300:45:32

From what I believe, you agreed with the district officer

0:45:410:45:45

that you would ask your gods

0:45:450:45:49

whether to do female circumcision this year,

0:45:490:45:54

this season, or not.

0:45:540:45:56

Are you able to tell me what your God told you?

0:45:560:46:01

'The elders hold enormous sway over their community and how it works

0:46:430:46:48

'and are still clearly supporting FGM.

0:46:480:46:51

'Since the police are conflicted about how to deal with it,

0:46:510:46:56

'it seems to me that one of the few people actually taking a stand

0:46:560:47:01

'is anti-FGM campaigner Susan Thomas.

0:47:010:47:04

'Since the season began, she's been rescuing girls

0:47:060:47:09

'at risk of circumcision and taking them to a safe house.

0:47:090:47:12

'Tonight we're meeting her as she responds to another call for help.

0:47:120:47:17

'What Susan's about to do is very dangerous

0:47:360:47:39

'so she's paid for an armed police guard to be with her tonight.

0:47:390:47:44

So we need to go? OK.

0:47:580:48:00

Do we know how old she is?

0:48:250:48:27

13 or 14? Oh, my goodness.

0:48:320:48:34

Is the problem that her parents want her to be circumcised?

0:48:450:48:49

The mother doesn't want her to be cut.

0:48:490:48:52

Right. But other members of the family do?

0:48:520:48:55

-The father does.

-The father does.

0:48:550:48:58

So, Susan...

0:48:580:48:59

..this must be a huge risk for the mother as well,

0:49:000:49:05

when her husband finds out what she's done.

0:49:050:49:08

Have you ever done this before, Peter?

0:49:590:50:01

No, no, this is the first time.

0:50:010:50:04

There's a lot of anxiety because so many things could go wrong,

0:50:060:50:10

-but here they come. Here they come.

-They're coming? OK.

0:50:100:50:13

Now, for obvious reasons,

0:50:150:50:18

we will not be identifying the girl.

0:50:180:50:20

20.

0:50:320:50:33

20, 20.

0:50:330:50:35

'We're returning to the village we visited early on

0:51:330:51:36

'for Susan's anti-FGM rally...

0:51:360:51:38

'..where everyone told us they were against female circumcision.

0:51:390:51:44

'Michael Mhoji is on the council of elders

0:51:480:51:51

'and he's got something to tell us.

0:51:510:51:53

And have the police tried to stop you?

0:52:110:52:14

So how many girls were circumcised at your place last night?

0:52:190:52:23

-In one night?

-Yeah.

0:52:320:52:34

Do you do the circumcising of the girls

0:52:490:52:52

or is it somebody else who comes in to do them?

0:52:520:52:55

And because they are being...

0:53:020:53:05

because the circumcisions are happening right by your house,

0:53:050:53:10

and because you're on the council of elders,

0:53:100:53:14

does that mean that you get paid for these circumcisions?

0:53:140:53:17

How much?

0:53:220:53:24

500 per girl?

0:53:260:53:28

For one girl?

0:53:280:53:30

500 for one girl. OK.

0:53:300:53:32

Are they just from this village

0:53:350:53:37

or do they come in from other villages as well?

0:53:370:53:40

'I can't quite find the words to describe how I feel

0:53:510:53:55

'after that conversation with Mhoji, who was so matter of fact,

0:53:550:53:59

'and, worse, unashamed.

0:53:590:54:01

'It probably shouldn't surprise and shock me, but it does.

0:54:040:54:09

'The realisation that the village where so many people told me

0:54:090:54:13

'early on during my time here that they wouldn't cut their girls,

0:54:130:54:19

'has just circumcised 350 in one night.

0:54:190:54:24

'It's incredibly difficult to come to terms with.

0:54:250:54:28

'The only positive in all this

0:54:300:54:33

'is that the circumcision season is nearly over.

0:54:330:54:37

'Those girls that escaped being cut

0:54:370:54:40

'are free of the risk of FGM for another two years.

0:54:400:54:44

'Before I leave Kuria, I want to say goodbye to wonderful Lillian.

0:54:510:54:56

'I've been invited to join her and some of her nyumba mboke friends...'

0:54:560:55:00

Jambo.

0:55:000:55:02

'..at a baby naming ceremony.

0:55:020:55:04

'A way of welcoming a new child to the community.

0:55:040:55:08

'Lillian and many women like her may have had to endure FGM

0:55:160:55:21

'and may be the unwilling victims of woman to woman marriage...'

0:55:210:55:25

She looks beautiful!

0:55:250:55:27

'..but they also seem determined to strive for a better future.'

0:55:270:55:32

Would you like your daughters, Christine and Alice,

0:55:330:55:37

to have a different sort of life from yours?

0:55:370:55:41

What is your ambition for them?

0:55:500:55:52

This is clearly such a complex time in Kuria society.

0:56:160:56:22

It really does feel like it is at a time of change.

0:56:220:56:25

When there are people like the fabulously brave Susan,

0:56:280:56:33

going out on the streets and talking to people.

0:56:330:56:37

Women like Lillian, who will talk about their experiences

0:56:390:56:44

and absolutely categorically say

0:56:440:56:47

my girls are not going to be circumcised.

0:56:470:56:50

There is definitely a movement.

0:56:500:56:52

And I really get the feeling it's gathering momentum.

0:56:530:56:56

What is holding it back, without question,

0:56:560:56:59

are the old men - is the patriarchy.

0:56:590:57:02

MUSIC

0:57:020:57:04

But, anyone who can laugh

0:57:080:57:11

when life is as tough as theirs,

0:57:110:57:14

deserves absolute, ultimate respect.

0:57:140:57:18

MUSIC AND SINGING

0:57:180:57:20

These aren't women standing with their hands out, asking for help.

0:57:280:57:33

These are women who are standing upright and saying,

0:57:370:57:40

we are trying to change things.

0:57:400:57:43

If you can help us, join us.

0:57:430:57:45

But we're going to do this.

0:57:450:57:47

We're going to do it on our own.

0:57:470:57:50

-Thank you.

-Pleasure.

0:57:550:57:58

Hello.

0:58:030:58:05

'Next time, I'm in Israel...'

0:58:050:58:07

"Please do not pass through our neighbourhood in immodest clothes."

0:58:070:58:12

'..where I struggle to access the ultra-orthodox Haredim.'

0:58:120:58:16

-I don't know whether...

-Stop filming!

0:58:160:58:18

'An intensely private people...

0:58:180:58:20

'..who must adhere to strict religious laws.

0:58:250:58:29

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