Agnes Pareiyo is a Maasai Kenya women's rights

Women's rights

Women's rights are entitlements and freedoms claimed for women and girls of all ages in many societies.In some places these rights are institutionalized or supported by law, local custom, and behaviour, whereas in others they may be ignored or suppressed...

 activist, politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 and Founder and Director of the Tasaru Ntomonok Rescue Center for young girls, who campaigns against female genital cutting

Female genital cutting

Female genital mutilation , also known as female genital cutting and female circumcision, is defined by the World Health Organization as "all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons."FGM...

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Biography

Pareiyo was initially able to persuade her father to allow her to not be 'cut', but social pressure from other women meant that she underwent the procedure, and afterwards vowed to stop girls undergoing the same pain. Pareiyo has spent time challenging cultural practices and engaging with communities that propagate the procedure, suggesting and demonstrating alternative rites of passage for young girls to undergo.

Pareiyo was the first Maasai women to be elected Deputy Mayor of her locality. Pareiyo has also analyzed the patriarchal social effects of FGM, including the ways that the procedure is used to take girls out of education and other means of economic and social independence.

Pareiyo was named United Nations

United Nations

The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...

 in Kenya Person of the Year in 2005, for her work achieving gender equality

Gender equality

Gender equality is the goal of the equality of the genders, stemming from a belief in the injustice of myriad forms of gender inequality.- Concept :...

and empowerment of women.