Female Genital Cutting Community Grants

The term female genital cutting (FGC) (also called female genital mutilation or female circumcision) refers to all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external genitalia of other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons (Source: WHO Interagency Statement, 2008). FGC is often identified as a cultural or community-based traditional practice. Depending on the degree of the cutting, it can lead to a range of physical and mental health problems. Although FGC is associated with countries other than the U.S., where it is against the law, there are women and girls living in the U.S. who have either had FGC performed before they immigrated here or girls who are at-risk of the practice being performed on them here or abroad. It is has been illegal to perform FGC on a girl living in the United States since 1996. In 2013, it became illegal for a girl who lives in the U.S. to be sent to another country for the purpose of undergoing FGC (so-called vacation cutting. In keeping with OWHs vision that all women and girls in the United States achieve the best possible health, OWH seeks to improve the lives of those affected by FGC and who live in this country. This Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) encourages applications from communities affected by FGC to analyze and address the following: medical and health care needs of women who have experienced FGC; the gaps in healthcare services for these women; and prevention efforts in communities where persistent pressure exists for continuing the practice on U.S. girls.