Female genital mutilation, a crime with 230 million women and girls among its victims
More than 230 million women and girls live with the consequences of female genital mutilation, a practice that continues to put another 4.5 million minors at risk and constitutes a serious violation of human rights, warned United Nations agencies on the International Day of Zero Tolerance.
TL;DR
- Over 230 million women and girls are currently affected by female genital mutilation (FGM).
- An estimated 4.5 million more girls are at risk of undergoing FGM.
- FGM is identified as a grave violation of human rights, impacting physical and mental health with potentially severe lifelong complications.
- Annual treatment costs for FGM victims are estimated to be around $1.4 billion.
- Decades of activism have led to progress, with two-thirds of the population in countries where FGM is prevalent now supporting its elimination.
- Progress is threatened by opposition, including dangerous arguments that support FGM when performed by medical professionals.
- Inadequate funding for local programs puts millions of girls at greater risk.
- Key strategies for combating FGM include reinforcing prevention messages and involving opinion leaders and healthcare personnel.
- FGM is prevalent in African countries such as Somalia, Sudan, Egypt, Ethiopia, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, and Chad, as well as in Asian countries like Yemen, Indonesia, and Iraq.