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“As a female coach, the girls trust me,” she said. “They told me things they couldn’t tell anyone else, about pressure to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM), about being asked to leave school, about relationships that made them feel unsafe.”
In rural and hard-to-reach areas of Uganda, female genital mutilation remains a serious human rights violation and public health problem. For girls in the Sebei community, this is linked to entrenched gender norms that also increase the risk of child marriage, dropping out of school and violence.
But in the school environment and running track, changes are starting to occur.
Coaches, tracks and safe places
Ms Cheptoek works with the Joshua Cheptegei Development Foundation, in partnership with the UN reproductive health agency (UNFPA) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Joint Programme, to eliminate FGM by using sport as an entry point to reach young people – especially girls – who are often marginalized from opportunities.
“This mindset underestimates their social, intellectual and cultural potential,” he said. “Exercise helps us challenge that.”
For many young women, resisting harmful practices requires great sacrifice. Those who reject female genital mutilation can face pressure, ostracism and even violence for allegedly rejecting tradition.
Female genital mutilation – changing or injuring genitals for non-medical reasons – often followed by child marriage and early school dropout. All of these things are closely linked to poverty, which drives these adverse impacts and also strengthens them.
Starting from community activities to classrooms
Every year, the Christmas run brings together boys and girls from all over Sebei. But this event is more than just a competition. From these nominations, 12 girls were selected to receive educational sponsors who helped them enroll in junior high school.
“Most of these girls come from communities where female genital mutilation is still practiced,” said Ms. Cheptoek. “Without sports and education, many of them would have married or dropped out of school.”
As girls begin to progress in athletics and the classroom, their attitudes slowly change.
“Some parents now see that athletics can change not just an individual girl, but an entire community,” she said. “When these girls escape, they are fleeing dangerous practices and heading towards their future choose for themselves.”
Learn safety, rights, and self-respect
Ms Cheptoek also provides age-appropriate advice on sexual and reproductive health, as well as guidance on personal safety and psychosocial support.
She helps girls deal with the pressures that can come with visibility and success in a community where women’s independence is still contested.
“Girls who become successful athletes are often told, ‘You should stop running and get married,’” she said. “But financial independence and education give them choice.”
The discussion became more urgent following the murder of Ugandan long-distance runner Rebecca Cheptegei, who died in 2024 after being attacked by a former colleague following a land dispute.
“We talk about safety because we don’t want to lose any more women,” Cheptoek said. “Female athletes are more vulnerable because they challenge traditional gender roles, but no woman should be punished for pursuing her potential.”
“Female athletes are becoming more financially and socially independent and this can trigger violence in a society that still believes that women should stay in the kitchen, cook and look after the children,” he said.
By supporting survivor-centred and community-based approaches, UNFPA and its partners ensure that girls and women can live free from violence.
Sport to freedom
For Ms Cheptoek, the goal is clear.
“Sport should give women freedom, not endanger their lives.”
Through these efforts, hundreds of young people, parents and local leaders in Uganda can be contacted with messages to end female genital mutilation, promote sexual and reproductive health and rights, and advance gender equality.
UNFPA and its partners support survivor-centered and community-based efforts that help girls and women live free from violence, access accurate health information and services, make informed choices about their bodies and realize their full potential.
