Female Genital Cutting (FGC) is a global phenomenon that impacts over half a million women and girls throughout the United States. Locally, exponential growth in the immigrant population and high rates of immigration from FGC prevalent regions has led the greater Philadelphia region to rank 7th amongst major US cities with the highest number women and girls impacted by FGC. In an effort to better address the specific needs of this population and lessen accompanying stigma that hinders access to care, the Philadelphia International Women’s Project (PIWP) was formed.
PIWP is a partnership between Nationalities Service Center (NSC), the Drexel University Women’s Care Center, and the African Family Health Organization (AFAHO), which seeks to break down barriers to care through the following strategies:
• Building community partnerships to increase community engagement around FGC and reduce stigma
• Utilizing a peer-to-peer model to engage affected communities in outreach and education, while facilitating connections to appropriate supportive services
• Providing essential clinical services to impacted women in a culturally sensitive health care home
• Increasing medical provider competency through a comprehensive provider education initiative that focuses on teaching effective and culturally sensitive FGC care strategies
Through this work, PIWP will focus on immigrant and refugee women and communities most impacted by FGC.
We look forward to working with community groups/leaders, city/state officials, and providers who recognize the importance of this work and seek to partner in creating a more effective provider landscape for our communities.
For more information please contact: Brittany DiVito at 215-893-8400 x1533 or bdivito@nscphila.org
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