The victims of female genital mutilation are from the countries predominantly in Africa and Asia- data released by the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency
New York
Some 230 million girls in more than 90 countries – predominantly in Africa and Asia – have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM) and can suffer lifelong physical, emotional and psychological scars, an issue that the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency has been tackling with the support of the international community including the United States.
Zeinaba Mahr Aouad, a 24-year-old woman from Djibouti, remembers the day when, as a ten-year-old, an unexpected visitor came to her house: “She had a syringe, a razor blade and bandages.”
The woman was there to carry out a brutal, unnecessary and – since 1995 in the Horn of Africa country – illegal operation known as female genital mutilation, which involves sewing up a girl’s vagina and cutting out her clitoris.
Even as Zeinaba’s traumatic experience has clouded her memories of that day, she still remembers the sensation of intense pain once the effects of the anesthetic had worn off.
Difficult to walk
“I had trouble walking and when I urinated, it burned,” she said.
Her mother told her it was nothing to worry about and spoke of the degrading procedure in terms of the importance of tradition.
Like many victims of FGM, Zeinaba came from a vulnerable and poor background, living in a single room with her mother and two sisters in a rundown neighborhood of Djibouti City.
“There was just a TV, suitcases where we stored our clothes and mattresses on which we slept,” she remembered.
Her mother sold flatbread to passersby, while Zeinaba played with a skipping rope with friends. “We also just played in the dirt.”
230 million mutilations
Some 230 million women and girls worldwide have undergone mutilations according to data released by the UN’s sexual and reproductive health agency, UNFPA, and it is on the increase as ever younger children, sometimes below five years old, go under the knife.
“A baby doesn’t talk,” explained Dr. Wisal Ahmed, an FGM specialist at UNFPA.
It’s often thought of as a one-time procedure, but in reality, it involves a lifetime of painful procedures that continue into adulthood.
“The woman is cut again to have sex, then sewn back together, then reopened for childbirth and closed again to narrow the orifice once more,” said Dr. Ahmed.
Tackling harmful traditions
UNFPA and its international partners have worked to put a definitive end to FGM and although these efforts have contributed to a steady decline in the rates at which the procedure is performed over the past 30 years, the global increase in population means the number of women affected is actually growing.
UNFPA continues to work with communities that still engage in the practice about the short and long-term effects.
The agency’s work has been supported across the world over a number of years by the US Government, which has recognized FGM as a human rights violation.
It is not a problem which affects just developing countries. According to US State Department figures, in the US itself, approximately 513,000 women and girls have undergone or are at risk of FGM.
Support from men
In Djibouti, in 2023, the US provided around $44 million in foreign assistance.
UNFPA confirmed that FGM programs supported by the United States have not yet been impacted by the current stop work orders, adding that “US support to UNFPA over the last four years resulted in an estimated 80,000 girls avoiding female genital mutilation.”
Local networks
Zeinaba Mahr Aouad now works as a volunteer for a local network launched by UNFPA in 2021, which numbers over 60 women and provides support to local women’s health and rights activists.
She also visits underprivileged areas of Djibouti to raise awareness among young people and future parents, both women and men, of the harmful effects of FGM.
“Because it’s not just the woman who participates in these practices: without the agreement of the man by her side, it couldn’t be done”, she said.
‘Step Up the Pace’ and end female genital mutilation, UN says
As the world marked the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation on Thursday, the United Nations is warning that without urgent action, a staggering 27 million more girls could undergo the procedure by 2030.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) refers to all procedures involving the partial or total removal of female external genitalia or other injuries to female genital organs for non-medical reasons, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
“More than 230 million girls and women alive today are survivors of this abhorrent practice,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in his message for the day, describing it as “one of the most brutal manifestations of gender inequality”.
The UN sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA), the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and World Health Organization reaffirmed that FGM has no health benefits, with lifelong consequences including severe infections, complications in childbirth, chronic pain and psychological trauma.
“Eradicating this vicious human rights violation is urgent, and it is possible,” Mr. Guterres emphasized.
Progress and challenges
Since 2008, the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Program on the Elimination of FGM, in collaboration with WHO, has provided prevention and protection services to nearly seven million girls and women.
The initiative has also mobilized 12,000 grassroots organizations and trained 112,000 community and frontline workers. Additionally, 48 million people have publicly declared their commitment to ending the practice.
Despite these efforts, the road to elimination remains steep. Only seven of the 31 countries with available data are on track to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) target of ending genital mutilation by 2030.
Meanwhile, in The Gambia, attempts to repeal the ban on genital mutilation threaten to reverse years of progress, underscoring the fragility of existing gains.
‘Step Up the Pace’
This year’s theme, Step Up the Pace, serves as a call to accelerate global efforts to eliminate genital mutilation and dismantle the harmful gender and social norms that perpetuate it.
“We must strengthen global movements to break down harmful attitudes, beliefs and gender stereotypes,” said Mr. Guterres.
A key part of this effort is The Pact for the Future, adopted by UN Member States last September. This global commitment aims to tackle gender discrimination and harmful social norms, ensuring that laws and policies align with efforts to end FGM worldwide.
Cost of inaction
Failure to end FGM has dire social, economic and health consequences. According to WHO, treating health complications from genital mutilation costs healthcare systems $1.4 billion annually.
Meanwhile, the mental and emotional toll on survivors can last a lifetime, impacting their education, employment and overall well-being.
With less than five years left to reach the 2030 target, the UN is calling for stronger alliances, increased investment and sustained advocacy.
“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,” Mr. Guterres concluded.
Read – Short Story: A Village Without Women
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Courtesy: UN News (Posted on Feb 6, 2025)