‘Step Up the Pace’ and End Female Genital Mutilation, UN Says
(February 6, 2025)
New York, United Nations – The United Nations has called on countries to “step up the pace” and end the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) by 2030.
In a statement released on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (February 6), UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that despite some progress, FGM remains a “serious human rights violation” that affects millions of girls and women worldwide.
“FGM is a harmful practice that causes physical and psychological suffering, and violates the rights of girls and women to bodily integrity, health, and sexual and reproductive health,” Guterres said.
According to the UN, more than 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone FGM, and more than 4 million girls are at risk of the practice each year. The organization estimates that FGM is practiced in at least 30 countries, primarily in Africa and the Middle East, but also in parts of Asia and Latin America.
FGM refers to a variety of procedures that involve the partial or complete removal of the external female genitalia, including the clitoris, labia minora, and sometimes the labia majora. The practice is often carried out without anesthesia and can have lifelong physical and psychological consequences, including pain, bleeding, infection, scarring, fistula formation, sexual dysfunction, and reproductive problems.
The UN has been working to end FGM for decades, and in 2012, the General Assembly adopted a resolution calling for the elimination of the practice by 2030. However, progress has been slow, and the UN estimates that at the current rate, it will take until 2078 to achieve this goal.
In his statement, Guterres urged countries to “step up the pace” and implement comprehensive strategies to end FGM, including education, legal reforms, and community engagement. He also called on parents and communities to “abandon this harmful practice and protect the rights of their daughters and granddaughters.”
“Ending FGM is essential for achieving gender equality, empowering women and girls, and creating a more just and peaceful world,” Guterres said.
The UN statement was echoed by the Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Natalia Kanem.
“FGM is a violation of human rights and a barrier to gender equality,” Kanem said. “We need to accelerate our efforts to end this harmful practice and empower girls and women to reach their full potential.”
The UNFPA is working with governments, civil society organizations, and communities around the world to end FGM. The organization supports programs that provide education and awareness-raising about the dangers of FGM, as well as programs that help survivors of FGM access medical care and counseling.
UNFPA also supports legal reforms to ban FGM and prosecute perpetrators. The organization is working with communities to change attitudes and behaviors towards FGM and to create a supportive environment for girls and women who have undergone the practice.
The International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation was first established by the UN in 2003 to raise awareness about the issue and to call for its eradication. The day is marked by events and activities around the world, including workshops, seminars, and community outreach programs.
‘Step Up the Pace’ and end female genital mutilation, UN says
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