By Bunmi Yekini
Three leading UN agencies have renewed their commitment to eradicating the harmful practice that continues to affect millions of girls and women worldwide, as the world mark the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM),
In a joint statement, UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem, UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, and WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus emphasized the need for urgent action, warning that 27 million more girls could be subjected to FGM by 2030 if efforts are not accelerated.
“Female genital mutilation is a violation of human rights that inflicts deep and lifelong physical, emotional and psychological scars on girls and women,” the leaders stated.
While progress has been made in countries such as Kenya and Uganda through collaborative action and community-led initiatives, the UN officials warned of setbacks, particularly in The Gambia, where attempts to repeal the ban on FGM continue.
“Such efforts could gravely undermine the rights, health, and dignity of future generations of girls and women,” they said, calling for greater accountability and sustained advocacy.
Since the launch of the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of FGM in 2008, nearly 7 million girls and women have accessed prevention and protection services. Additionally, 48 million people have made public declarations to abandon the practice, and 220 million individuals have been reached through mass media campaigns.
Despite this progress, only seven out of 31 countries where FGM is prevalent are on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goal of ending the practice by 2030. The UN leaders stressed the need for strengthened alliances across sectors, increased investment in proven interventions, and the inclusion of survivors in advocacy efforts.
“We all have a role to play to ensure that every girl is protected and can live free from harm,” the statement concluded. “The time to end female genital mutilation is now.”