Female Genital Mutilation/ Cutting is being practised in 94 countries around the world, a new report has said.
The report reveals how the harmful practice exists in more communities than previously recognised and the number of girls and women affected or at risk exceeds earlier estimates.
The report, ‘The Time Is Now: End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, An Urgent Need for a Global Response – Five Year Update.
It was compiled and released by the Equality Now, End FGM European Network, and The U.S. End FGM/C Network.
FGM/ has been identified in local communities in Azerbaijan, Cambodia, and Vietnam, and further evidence has been gathered in Colombia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates.
The report stated that more investigation is required where data is limited, such as in Panama, Mexico, and Peru where FGM/C may exist among indigenous groups.
FGM/C is internationally recognized as a serious human rights violation involving the partial or complete removal of external female genitalia for non-medical reasons.
It is rooted in gender inequality and attempts to control women’s and girls’ bodies and sexuality.
The report states that FGM/C has no health benefits and can cause severe short and long-term harm. Potentially fatal as demonstrated by FGM/C-related deaths in Sierra Leone and Kenya in 2024.
The illegal act is associated with numerous health problems, including chronic pain and infections, psychological trauma, infertility, and higher rates of maternal and infant mortality.
Despite this, of the 94 countries where FGM/C has been found, only 58 (61per cent) have laws explicitly prohibiting it. This leaves many millions without adequate protection and enables perpetrators to avoid accountability.
The report found that efforts to end FGM remain hindered by reluctance from governments to act, particularly in countries not widely associated with FGM.
Other obstacles include weak legal protections, insufficient data, low awareness, and a lack of funding and decisive action from the international community.
The report details small-scale surveys, estimates, and personal accounts from survivors, activists, and grassroots organizations which shed new light on the urgent need to expand protection and prevention efforts.
“Mounting evidence clearly shows that FGM/C is a worldwide issue demanding a coordinated global response,” Equality Now’s Divya Srinivasan said.
“To end FGM/C, governments, international bodies, and donors must acknowledge the extent of the problem, strengthen their political commitments to addressing it, and prioritize funding, especially in overlooked regions and communities.”
In 2024, UNICEF said over 230 million to 80 million in Asia, six million in the Middle East, and one to two million in small or diaspora communities elsewhere women and girls had undergone FGM/C.
In 2020, UNICEF estimated the figure to be at least 200 million.
UNICEF’s 15 per cent increase is due to newly available data from countries previously excluded from official statistics, combined with rapid population growth where FGM/C occurs.
“Access to accurate, up-to-date data is crucial for understanding the full scale of FGM/C and for developing and assessing laws and policies that ensure no one is left behind. Data-driven strategies must guide our actions, empowering grassroots organizations, youth movements, and survivors to lead the way,” Tania Hosseinian from the End FGM European Network said.
The End FGM European Network is an umbrella of 39 organizations in 16 European countries working to ensure sustainable European action to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) while Equality Now is an international human rights organization dedicated to protecting and promoting the rights of all women and girls worldwide.
The U.S. End FGM/C Network is a collaborative group of around 200 members including FGM/C survivors, civil society organizations, foundations, activists, policymakers, researchers, healthcare providers, and others committed to promoting the abandonment of FGM/C in the US and globally.
The updated report is intended to serve as a reference and advocacy tool in the fight to end FGM/C globally.
“Though an effort was made to include as much information as possible relating to available data on FGM/C and national legal frameworks against FGM/C, the report does not purport to constitute a comprehensive or exhaustive authority on this issue,” the report read.
"This report is based on publicly available information online, updated up to December 2024.”
