An estimated 4.5 million girls worldwide are at risk of being subjected to female genital mutilation in 2026, United Nations’ bodies have warned.
In a joint statement issued on International Day of Zero Tolerance for female genital mutilation (FGM), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and WHO World Health Organisation (WHO) said many of the girls at risk are under the age of five.
Often performed on girls before they hit puberty, FGM is a cruel and inhuman practice involving partial or total removal of the female genitalia, and known to be practised in parts of Africa, Middle East and Asia for religious or traditional beliefs. It causes severe and lifelong health complications.
“Female genital mutilation is a violation of human rights and cannot be justified on any grounds,” the agency heads said, adding, “It seriously compromises girls’ and women’s physical and mental health and can lead to serious, lifelong complications.”
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In a joint statement, leaders of UNICEF, WHO and other international agencies condemned the practice and reaffirmed their commitment to end FGM “for every girl and every woman at risk”.
They noted that after decades of slow change, progress against female genital mutilation is accelerating: half of all gains since 1990 were achieved in the past decade, reducing the number of girls subjected to FGM from one in two to one in three.
However, the agencies warned that severe cuts to international aid funding, as well as growing pushback against efforts to end FGM, are hindering progress in combating the practice and supporting survivors.
UN estimates say more than 230 million women are survivors of FGM across the world.
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