51³Ô¹Ï

Photos of women actively participating in events to end FGM.
Left: A young woman in traditional attire holding a banner promoting the end of FGM. Right: Traditional communicators raise awareness about the law banning FGM in The Gambia.
Photo:? UNFPA

Let¡¯s join forces to make female genital mutilation history and ensure a brighter, healthier, and more just future for all women and girls everywhere.

UN Secretary-General Ant¨®nio Guterres

Ending Female Genital Mutilation by 2030

 

Female genital mutilation (FGM) comprises all procedures that involve altering or injuring the female genitalia for non-medical reasons and is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights, the health and the integrity of girls and women.

Girls who undergo female genital mutilation face short-term complications such as severe pain, shock, excessive bleeding, infections, and difficulty in passing urine, as well as long-term consequences for their sexual and reproductive health and mental health.

Although primarily concentrated in 30 countries in Africa and the Middle East, female genital mutilation is a universal issue and is also practiced in some countries in Asia and Latin America. Female genital mutilation continues to persist amongst immigrant populations living in Western Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand.

Over the last three decades, the prevalence of FGM has declined globally. Today, a girl is one-third less likely to undergo FGM than 30 years ago. However, sustaining these achievements in the face of humanitarian crises such as disease outbreaks, climate change, armed conflict and more could cause a rollback of progress toward achieving gender equality and the elimination of FGM by 2030.

More than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation. This year, nearly 4.4 million girls will be at risk of this harmful practice. This equates to more than 12,000 cases every day.

With five years remaining in this decade of action, our collective actions must be centered around creating environments where girls and women can exercise their power and choice, enjoying full rights to health, education, and safety. And this is possible through investments in initiatives led by survivors of female genital mutilation who are challenging harmful gender and social norms. Their voices and actions can transform deeply rooted social and gender norms, allowing girls and women to realize their rights and potential in terms of health, education, income, and equality.

To promote the elimination of female genital mutilation, coordinated and systematic efforts are needed, and they must engage whole communities and focus on , gender equality, sexual education and attention to the needs of women and girls who suffer from its consequences.

2025 Theme: Step up the Pace

Strengthening Alliances and Building Movements to End FGM

In 2012, the UN General Assembly designated February 6th as the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, with the aim to amplify and direct the efforts on the elimination of this practice.

 

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For more than a decade, the Joint Programme has supported survivors of FGM, prioritizing investments in survivor-led initiatives, centered around empowerment, agency and access to essential services.

There is an urgent need for even more targeted, coordinated and sustained and concerted efforts if we are to achieve our common goal of ending female genital mutilation by 2030. Every survivor's voice is a call to action, and every choice they make in reclaiming their lives contributes to the global movement to end this harmful practice.

Join us on 6 February 2025 in our call to action. Share with the world how you support #Unite2EndFGM in leading the #EndFGM movement. Access the Trello board .

UN Action

Although the practice has been around for more than a thousand years, ending female genital mutilation within this generation is still possible if we accelerate our progress. That is why the 51³Ô¹Ï strives for its full elimination by 2030, following the spirit of Sustainable Development Goal 5.

Since 2008, , jointly with , leads the largest global programme to accelerate the elimination of female genital mutilation. The Joint Programme currently focuses on 17 countries in Africa and the Middle East and also supports regional and global initiatives.

Over the years, this partnership has seen significant achievements. Through the support of the joint programme, over 7 million girls and women received prevention, protection and care services related to FGM. Over 50 million people have made public declarations to abandon FGM, and similary over 250 million individuals were reached by mass media messaging on FGM. In the last two years, close to 12,000 grassroots organizations and 112,000 community and frontline workers have worked to drive change.

#EndFGM

Documents/Publications

  • UN Resolutions and report related to :
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Did You Know?

  • There are over 230 million girls and women alive today who are survivors of FGM and need access to appropriate care services.
  • An estimated 27 million additional girls are at risk of undergoing FGM by 2030 unless action is accelerated.
  • Every year, over 2 million girls are subjected to female genital mutilation before their fifth birthday.
  • Daughters of FGM survivors are at significant higher risk to undergo FGM compared to daughters of women who have not undergone FGM.
  • The financial cost of health care for FGM survivors is USD 1.4 billion every year.
  • Partnerships and alliances are vital to building social movements to end FGM. 
  • Today, one out of three girls undergo FGM compared to one out of two girls thirty years ago, however, progress needs to be at least 10 times faster to meet the global target of FGM elimination by 2030.
  • In 2025, more than 4.4 million girls - or about 12,200 each day - are at risk of female genital mutilation around the world.
  • The estimated health costs for FGM survivors is USD 1.4 billion every year.


Websites

Related Observances

As the world rallies to accelerate progress against FGM, understanding what drives change in how people think about the practice and act is key to its elimination. Education is one such driver.

Survivors of Female Genital Mutilation possess a unique and powerful voice that can drive meaningful change. Their experiences offer important insights into the challenges faced and the support needed. By sharing their stories, survivors can raise awareness, reduce stigma, and inspire action within communities and among policymakers. More Stories.

an abstract illustration of people engaged in an event

International days and weeks are occasions to educate the public on issues of concern, to mobilize political will and resources to address global problems, and to celebrate and reinforce achievements of humanity. The existence of international days predates the establishment of the 51³Ô¹Ï, but the UN has embraced them as a powerful advocacy tool. We also mark other UN observances.