Statement
The End Female Genital Mutilation European Network and its global partners from the Global Platform for Action to End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (in particular End FGM Canada Network, Equality Now, Orchid Project, Sahiyo, The U.S. End female genital mutilation/cutting Network, The Girl Generation, The Asia Network to end female genital mutilation/cutting) have been increasing their collaboration over the past six years to mobilize and bring attention to the global issue of female genital mutilation/cutting, to call for the acceleration of coordinated global actions to prevent the continuation of this form of gender-based violence, and to support survivors and civil society initiatives, from local grassroots community organisations to larger advocacy civil society organisations.
As shown in the report, “The Time is Now: End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, An Urgent Need for Global Response 2025,” the urgency of eradicating female genital mutilation/cutting by 2030 is also linked to the need of shedding light on its global nature, emphasizing its prevalence across continents and cultures. Framing female genital mutilation/cutting as a universal human rights violation strengthens the case for coordinated global action. The work we do, including the efforts that went into the updating of this report, is evidence-based and critical for dispelling myths, guiding policy, and mobilizing resources in regions often overlooked. It also amplifies the voices of survivors and activists who are at the heart of our regional and global movement.
According to the latest official United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) figures from 2024, female genital mutilation/cutting affects at least 230 million women and girls across the world. This 15% increase compared to the previously available data (which estimated that female genital mutilation/cutting impacted 200 million girls) is a result of population growth in the communities that practice female genital mutilation/cutting, as well as newly available data from countries that were not included in the previous data. For the first time ever, UNICEF data also includes specific estimates of female genital mutilation/cutting prevalence across Asia (80 million), the Middle East (6 million), and countries where it is practiced by small communities or diaspora populations (1-2 million). There are 31 countries where nationally representative data on female genital mutilation/cutting is available and in addition, there are at least 63 other countries where female genital mutilation/cutting has been documented either through indirect estimates, small-scale studies, or anecdotal evidence and media reports. Since the last report was published in 2020, newly available evidence and data demonstrate that female genital mutilation/cutting is occurring in at least 3 additional countries: Azerbaijan; Vietnam and Cambodia, where preliminary findings from ongoing research indicate that female genital mutilation/cutting is being practiced by the Cham community. In other countries, new reports and data published over the past five years have strengthened evidence that female genital mutilation/cutting occurs in various countries, including Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, and Colombia.
The global presence of female genital mutilation/cutting is not merely a statistical reality; it reflects the issues and limitations that have characterized the approach towards its elimination until now. These are related to the priority and review themes of the 70th Commission on the Status of Women. Female genital mutilation/cutting-affected communities and survivors are diverse, including people from different socio-economic backgrounds, nationalities, ethnicities, and cultures. These lived experiences, identities, and local realities should be taken into consideration when developing strategies, laws, and programs against female genital mutilation/cutting. Addressing female genital mutilation/cutting as a form of gender-based violence requires laws and policies that also recognize systemic and deep-rooted issues such as racism, Islamophobia, sexism, homophobia, religious persecution, and the lack of meaningful access to healthcare and critical social programs, which are all interrelated and are a part of ensuring access to an indivisible set of fundamental human rights.The sustainable elimination of female genital mutilation/cutting cannot be achieved without inclusive and equitable legal systems and policies. Female genital mutilation/cutting-affected communities are too often exposed to overlapping layers of discrimination and structural barriers, that range from gender-based discrimination, to religious and racial stereotyping and profiling, as well as lack of effective access to services and healthcare, due for example to residency status. Not only must women be able to effectively access services and fully participate in decision-making and public life, but we must review all existing policies and structures through an intersectional lens. This is essential to ensure that everyone, including female genital mutilation/cutting-affected communities, can live free from gender-based violence and inequality, with support and opportunities at every stage of life, from early childhood to adulthood. This can be achieved through education, community-owned initiatives, and accessible multidisciplinary healthcare services, and comprehensive sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR), among other measures.
We will continue to bring attention to this violation and the solutions we defend and call on all Member States to take stronger, time-bound commitments to eliminate female genital mutilation/cutting and achieve Sustainable Development Goal 5.3.
