Passed by Parliament in 2001, the Children's Act outlaws various forms of violation against children, including FGM, for females 18 and younger. About 14 other countries in Africa have passed similar laws against FGM. Djibouti joined the group last Thursday by ratifying the African Union's Maputo Protocol on female genital mutilation, which requires its member states to ban the practice. But activists in Kenya - sometimes identified as a leader in the anti-FGM campaign - say the country still has a long way to go.