The International Day of Zero Tolerance for female genital mutilation is coming up this Tuesday, so it’s time we talk about this horrific practice.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is an extreme violation of girls’ bodies and rights. It’s a practice where a girl’s family or community cuts her external genitalia with a knife or razor, guaranteeing her a life of pain and health complications — if it doesn’t kill her first.

FGM is practiced by communities around the world, and the reasons why range from seeing it as a rite of passage into womanhood, using it to suppress women’s sexuality, and the preservation of a girl’s "cleanliness” or “purity” to ensure her future marriageability.

No matter why it happens, the horrors and long-lasting consequences of FGM cannot be overstated. Every year, girls contract HIV/AIDS from unsterile equipment, go into septic shock, and even bleed to death. Those who survive the practice are likely to face health issues, ranging from chronic infections and post-traumatic stress disorder, to childbirth complications and excessive scarring.

Approximately 200 million women and girls alive today are survivors of FGM. Another 68 million are at risk of being cut by 2030.

Your generous donations allow UNFPA to work around the world supporting survivors with specialized maternal health services and sensitive mental health counseling. We educate communities on the dangers of FGM and encourage them to abandon the practice. At the national level, we work with governments to outlaw the practice.

With your help, we can ensure that the 200 million FGM survivors alive today are the LAST generation of women and girls to be mutilated.

If you’re ready to join us in the fight to end FGM, please donate today. Your generous gift will help keep women and girls safe from dangerous practices like FGM.

Thank you for your support,

USA for UNFPA