On the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), global health leaders have issued a powerful call to action to end this harmful practice, which continues to affect over 230 million girls and women worldwide.
In a joint statement, Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Catherine Russell, Executive Director of UNICEF, and Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization (WHO), emphasised the urgent need to strengthen alliances and build movements to eradicate FGM by 2030.
The theme for this year’s observance, “Stepping up the pace: Strengthening alliances and building movements to end female genital mutilation,” underscores the critical role of collaboration in accelerating progress. Despite significant strides in countries like Kenya and Uganda, where community-led initiatives have driven declines in FGM prevalence, the global fight against this human rights violation remains fragile.
The leaders highlighted the success of the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation, launched in 2008. To date, nearly 7 million girls and women have accessed prevention and protection services, while 48 million people have publicly declared their abandonment of the practice. Mass media campaigns have reached 220 million individuals, and grassroots efforts have mobilized over 12,000 organizations and 112,000 community workers.
However, the statement also sounded the alarm on emerging challenges. In The Gambia, attempts to repeal the ban on FGM threaten to reverse decades of progress, jeopardising the health, rights, and dignity of future generations. Globally, only seven of the 31 countries with national FGM prevalence data are on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target of eliminating the practice by 2030.
To bridge this gap, the leaders called for strengthened alliances across health, education, and social protection sectors, alongside sustained advocacy and expanded social movements centered on girls and survivors. They emphasised the need for greater accountability, policy implementation, and increased investment in proven interventions.
“We all have a role to play to ensure that every girl is protected and can live free from harm,” the statement read. “Let’s step up the pace and act with urgency. The time to end female genital mutilation is now.”
The leaders also expressed gratitude to donors and partners supporting these efforts while urging others to join the cause. With an estimated 27 million additional girls at risk of FGM by 2030, the call for action has never been more urgent.