NEW YORK, March 8, 2024 – The latest UNICEF report reveals that over 230 million girls and women worldwide have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM).
This marks a 15% increase since data was last released eight years ago, equating to 30 million more survivors.
Published on International Women’s Day which was observed on Friday, the report highlights the slow progress in ending FGM, which lags behind population growth and falls short of meeting the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal to eliminate the practice.
According to UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell, the rising trend of subjecting girls to FGM at younger ages poses a grave concern, urging stronger efforts to end this harmful practice.
Titled “Female Genital Mutilation: A Global Concern,” the report emphasizes the enduring physical, psychological, and social consequences of FGM, particularly prevalent in African countries with 144 million cases, followed by 80 million in Asia and 6 million in the Middle East.
The analysis underscores the urgent need for prevention efforts, especially in regions experiencing rapid population growth.
Furthermore, the report notes that 4 in 10 FGM survivors reside in fragile and conflict-affected settings, exacerbating challenges in addressing gender inequality and delivering essential services.
Despite these obstacles, progress is evident, with significant declines observed in countries like Kenya, Sierra Leone, and Egypt.
Changing attitudes towards FGM are also evident, with around 400 million people in practising countries opposing the practice.
To eliminate FGM, UNICEF emphasizes the importance of redoubling efforts to end gender discrimination, investing in girls’ services, promoting their agency, prioritizing girls’ rights in policies, and improving data tracking to better understand and address the prevalence of FGM.