Stop cut project

Female genital mutilation (FGM), involving the partial or complete removal of external female genitalia for non-medical purposes, has affected approximately 200 million women and girls worldwide. Of this population, around 10% (20 million) reside in Nigeria, where reported short-term consequences include severe pain, trauma, hemorrhage, urinary tract infections, shock, post-traumatic stress disorder, and, in severe cases, death, loss of sexual drive, and birth complications. If unaddressed, these figures are projected to rise by 2030.

To combat this violation of human rights, the Nigerian government passed the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act in 2015, parts of which criminalize FGM. While many states in Nigeria have domesticated the Act, awareness of the Act and implantation still faces challenges.

To challenge this narrative, the HACEY Health Initiative launched the Stop Cut project in 2020, in collaboration with the United Nations Trust Fund to End Violence Against Women. The project’s goal was the safeguarding of women and girls in Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo states in Southwest Nigeria from FGM.

Since its inception, the Stop Cut project has collaborated with stakeholders in Oyo, Ekiti, and Osun states, such as public sector workers, political leaders, policymakers, civil society organizations, media agencies, and community leaders. The project focuses on intensifying advocacy efforts to eliminate FGM and enforce laws prohibiting the practice, thereby protecting women and girls from this harmful traditional act that infringes upon their basic human rights.