HACEY Health Initiative to Launch Report on FGM/C Laws in Nigeria

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a violence perpetrated against woman and girls. It is the total or partial removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons and Nigeria records over 20 million women and girls who have been exposed to this inhumane practice, with many more at risk.

The United Nations International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women is observed every November 25th and it aims at creating awareness for the prevention and elimination of violence against women and girls, and FGM is one of such violence against women and girls.

HACEY Health Initiative, through its StopCut project has worked to protect women and girls from FGM by collaborating with key stakeholders, including state Ministries of Health in Ekiti, Osun, and Oyo, Thomson Reuters Foundation, Traditional, Religious and Community leaders. The collaborative efforts involved research to understand the current prevalence, contributing factors, and level of FGM policy implementation in these states, as well as reviewing existing state FGM laws and the documentation of FGM stories from survivors in the three states. The effort has amounted in the development of key resources for the advocacy against FGM, research reports, and a video documentary that can be utilized by key stakeholders including policymakers, NGOs, media, state officials, to make informed decisions and take actions towards the complete eradication of FGM in Nigeria.

To commemorate this year’s International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, the StopCut Project will be hosting a conference;

– To launch the report on the state of our laws on FGM.

– To premiere the StopCut documentary.

– To bring key stakeholders together to discuss current progress in ending FGM, existing barriers, available opportunities and required strategies towards ending FGM by 2030.

– To share insight from our female genital mutilation research efforts.

The conference which will have physical and virtual access will feature panelist discussions on Adopting Laws and policies to end FGM by 2030 and Unleashing the power of stories in promoting community action to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The conference is scheduled would take place November 25, 2021 at 10a.m, at Ibadan Business School. It is expected that the knowledge and resources gathered during the conference would play a crucial role in identifying strategies to promote actions to end FGM across prevalent areas in Nigeria.

HACEY in 2020 initiated the StopCut project in three of the States with the highest prevalence of FGM in Nigeria – Ekiti, Osun and Oyo state, with the aim to protect women and girls from FGM by creating awareness on existing protective laws and policies, and promoting their effective implementation.

The project through advocacy, capacity building, research and education strategies in communities engaged and trained state and community key stakeholders to advocate for the enforcement of FGM laws and policies, created awareness on FGM and promoted increased reporting of FGM incidents. It has trained 96 media personnel, engaged 274 traditional and community leaders in 72 Communities in Ekiti, Osun and Oyo state.