The project was initiated as a response to the alarming reports in the media and communities regarding FGM and its health and psychological effects on young girls and women especially from poor and marginalized; Maasai, Kikuyu, Kisii, Pokot, Kalenjin, Kuria among other communities of Kenya.
The project start-up was informed by extensive research undertaken by Sr. Dr. Ephigenia Gachiri, as well as the representation of demographic data from the Population Council of Kenya. Key research findings at the time revealed that, out of 72 districts in Kenya, only 15 did not circumcise the girls.