Protecting Girls Across Borders: Kenya and Tanzania Strengthen Joint Efforts to End FGM
Isibania Border Point, Migori County, Kenya | 6 November 2026.
As the October–December Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) cutting season begins, protecting girls at risk requires more than action within individual communities. It also calls for cooperation across borders, where timely information sharing and coordinated responses can make all the difference in reaching girls who need protection.
This was the focus of a Kenya–Tanzania Cross-Border Meeting held at Isibania Border Point Hotel, bringing together government institutions, civil society organisations and child protection actors from both countries to strengthen joint efforts to address cross-border FGM.
Among those represented were Police Gender Desks, Immigration Offices, the Judiciary, Child Protection Officers and Social Welfare Officers, alongside civil society organisations including World Vision Kenya, Future for Binti, Equality Now Kenya and C-Sema.
With girls at risk of being moved across borders to undergo FGM, participants came together to discuss how they could work more closely, share information and strengthen responses to ensure that girls are identified and protected in time.
Strengthening Coordination for Timely Protection
A key discussion centred on the importance of timely communication between stakeholders, particularly when information emerges about a girl at risk of FGM or a case requiring urgent rescue and protection.
Participants recognised that cross-border cases can be particularly challenging. When girls are moved between communities or across national boundaries, identifying their whereabouts and coordinating the necessary protection services can become more difficult. This makes strong working relationships and clear communication channels between the two countries essential.
One of the key agreements was for participating institutions and country teams to strengthen information sharing whenever reports of girls at risk or cases requiring intervention emerge. This will help ensure that the relevant authorities and child protection actors can coordinate their response and take timely action.
Turning Commitments into Action
Beyond the discussions, participants developed a joint workplan to guide collaboration throughout the October–December 2026 cutting season. The workplan outlines areas for coordinated engagement, information sharing and joint responses between stakeholders in Kenya and Tanzania. It also provides a practical framework for ensuring that emerging cases are communicated to the relevant actors and that girls at risk can access the protection and support they need.
Having a shared plan is an important step towards moving from individual efforts to a more coordinated response, particularly during a period when the risk of FGM is heightened.
Working Together for Lasting Change
FGM is not an issue that can be addressed by one institution or country working alone. In communities along the Kenya–Tanzania border, the practice and the risks surrounding it can extend beyond national boundaries. This makes sustained collaboration between government institutions, civil society organisations and community-based actors particularly important.
For C-Sema, participating in this engagement is part of its continued commitment to strengthening child protection systems, promoting the rights and safety of girls, and working with partners to prevent FGM and other forms of violence against children.
As both country teams take forward the agreed actions, the meeting serves as an important step towards stronger regional partnerships and more coordinated protection efforts.
Ultimately, every girl deserves to grow up safe, healthy and free from harmful practices, regardless of which side of a border she calls home. Protecting that right requires us to work together, share information and act when it matters most.
Prepared by C-Sema's Communications Team.
