Kenya Scouts empowering women
Kenyan Scouts, led by Pauline Kagiri have been educating girls about body autonomy and reproductive and sexual health for more than 10 years. Her project to eradicate Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), supported by BP Fellows and supporters of Scouting worldwide via the Scout Donation Platform, has provided training to over 200 girls from different institutions, rescue centres and communities in Kenya, empowering them with knowledge and confidence to help them cope with FGM and be community leaders in ending this practice.
On International Women's Day, and every day, we celebrate, recognise and support the meaningful membership, participation and leadership of women and girls in Scouting worldwide and are proud to highlight Scout projects, which are building a more gender equal world, where everyone can thrive and grow in a safe environment.
"Scouts are agents of change; everyone should embrace change and gender equality to make a better world." Pauline Kagiri, Scout Leader, Kenya
Pauline’s FGM project is part of the Messengers of Peace initiative and in 2017, she was awarded the Messengers of Peace Hero Award as a real change-maker creating change through education with Scouts across Kenya.
The impact continues to grow, as this initiative inspires more and more youth-led community development projects, partnerships with youth groups and other organisations. Pauline’s initiative is centred on community awareness and sensitisation. Besides FGM, the project also educates girls on other sexual and reproductive health topics, like child marriage and menstruation.
