Impact of the Stopcut project on the practice of Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Southwest Nigeria: a quasi-experimental study

BackgroundFemale Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) is a harmful practice recognized as a gross violation of human rights and violence against women. Nigeria has been identified to share an overwhelming amount of burden as regards FGM/C. Despite several interventions having been implemented to tackle the practice of FGM/C, progress has been slow, and the results are generally mixed coupled with weak law enforcement, inadequate public awareness, and deeply rooted cultural beliefs. In response to these challenges, the StopCut project was launched to protect women and girls from FGM/C in Southwest Nigeria. This study examines the impact of the StopCut project on the practice of FGM/C in the region.MethodsTo measure the impact of the StopCut project, we used a quasi-experimental design specifically the Inverse Probability Weighting approach. A multistage sampling approach was used to collect data from 413 households across 12 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Nigeria. A well-structured interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to collect information on knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to FGM/C, and respondents' attitudes towards reporting and continuing FGM/C.Resultsthe study revealed that the StopCut project had significant positive impacts on knowledge and behaviour related to FGM/C. Specifically, the study revealed that participation in the project significantly increased knowledge of FGM/C consequences, awareness of the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Act, willingness to report FGM/C incidents, and reporting of FGM/C practices within families.ConclusionThe findings indicate that the StopCut intervention effectively improved participants' knowledge about FGM/C, legal frameworks, and reporting behaviour. The study thus highlights the need for a more comprehensive approach to challenging cultural beliefs and scaling up the interventions to other areas as well.