Over four million girls still at risk of female genital mutilation: UN leaders call for sustained commitment and investment to end FGM

More than four million girls remain vulnerable to female genital mutilation, prompting UN leaders to urge governments, donors and civil society to keep the issue at the top of their agendas.

The scale of the problem

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is practiced in at least 30 countries across Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The latest UN estimates show that 4.1 million girls aged 0‑14 are currently at risk of undergoing the procedure. In some communities the practice is linked to cultural rites of passage, while in others it is imposed as a way to control sexuality or marriage prospects. Even where national laws ban FGM, enforcement gaps and deep‑rooted social norms allow the practice to continue.

Why the UN is speaking out now

At a recent high‑level meeting, senior UN officials highlighted that progress made over the past decade is slowing. Funding for prevention programmes has plateaued, and new data suggest that the pandemic‑related disruptions to health and education services have left many girls more exposed. The leaders called for a "sustained commitment" that goes beyond short‑term projects, emphasizing that ending FGM requires long‑term investment in education, legal enforcement and community‑led change.

Health and human‑rights consequences

FGM has no medical benefit and causes immediate and long‑term health complications. Survivors often suffer severe pain, bleeding, infections, and complications during childbirth. Psychologically, the trauma can lead to anxiety, depression and post‑traumatic stress disorder. From a human‑rights perspective, the practice violates the rights of children to health, bodily integrity and freedom from violence. International conventions, including the Convention on the Rights of the Child, explicitly call for the protection of girls from such harmful practices.

What investment looks like

The UN outlined several priority areas for funding:

Community engagement – Supporting locally driven campaigns that involve religious leaders, elders and women’s groups can shift attitudes more effectively than top‑down messaging. Education and empowerment – Scholarships, safe school environments and life‑skills curricula give girls alternatives to early marriage and the pressures that often accompany FGM. Legal enforcement – Training police, prosecutors and judges, as well as providing resources for survivor support services, strengthens the rule of law. Health‑system capacity – Equipping clinics with trained staff to manage complications and to provide counseling helps survivors receive timely care. * Data and monitoring – Investing in reliable surveys and digital reporting tools ensures that policymakers can track progress and adjust strategies quickly.

Experts note that a coordinated approach that blends these elements yields the best results. For example, a pilot programme in Kenya combined school‑based education with a community pledge system, resulting in a 30 % drop in reported FGM cases within two years.

UN officials stress that ending FGM will not happen overnight, but they also warn that each year of inaction adds to the number of girls who will experience irreversible harm. They urged donor countries to honor previous pledges and to increase the annual budget for FGM‑related initiatives by at least 20 % over the next five years. At the same time, they called on national governments to allocate domestic resources, integrate FGM prevention into broader gender‑equality policies, and ensure that survivors have access to legal and medical support.

Civil‑society organisations play a crucial role in bridging the gap between policy and practice. By documenting cases, providing safe spaces for dialogue and offering survivor‑led advocacy, they keep the issue visible and pressure authorities to act. The UN highlighted successful collaborations in Senegal, where a coalition of NGOs, health workers and local councils created a “no‑FGM” certification for villages that voluntarily abandoned the practice.

Why the world should care

Beyond the direct impact on millions of girls, ending FGM contributes to broader development goals. Healthier women are more likely to stay in school, participate in the workforce and raise children who attend school themselves. Reducing gender‑based violence also aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly those targeting health, education and gender equality.

The call for sustained commitment is a reminder that FGM is not a distant cultural issue but a global human‑rights challenge. As the UN prepares its next strategic plan, the emphasis will be on measurable outcomes, transparent financing and inclusive partnerships. The message is clear: without continued investment and political will, the risk to four million girls will persist, and the world will fall short of its promise to protect every child from harm.

If the international community responds with the level of funding and coordination requested, experts say a measurable decline in new cases could be seen within a decade. Such progress would signal that the combined force of law, education and community leadership can overcome even the most entrenched practices. Until then, the UN’s appeal serves as both a warning and an invitation – a warning that the status quo endangers millions, and an invitation for governments, donors and citizens to join a decisive, long‑term effort to end female genital mutilation once and for all.