International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) gives countries, international organizations, and community-based nonprofits the opportunity to raise awareness about a harmful practice that continues to impact millions of women and girls worldwide.

Since our founding, Equality Now has been at the forefront of advocating for laws that protect women and girls against FGM and supporting grassroots activists and women’s rights organizations working to eliminate FGM in their communities.

30 years ago, FGM was seen as a cultural practice, and little was done to stop it. With the help of many partners and the bravery of countless survivors, Equality Now helped usher in a new era and a stronger global response. FGM is now internationally recognized as a gross violation of human rights, a form of violence against women and girls, and a manifestation of gender inequality, and the United Nations has called for the worldwide elimination of all harmful practices by 2030. 

However, we have evidence that women and girls are still experiencing or are at risk of FGM in at least 92 countries. In the United States, nine states have yet to outlaw this harmful practice. According to UNICEF, at least 200 million women and girls alive today have undergone FGM around the world. Yet efforts to end FGM are still under-resourced and require urgent investment.

1. Highlighting FGM as a global issue and urging an increase in resources and investment to end FGM and support survivors.
2. Engaging in strategic litigation to hold governments accountable.
3. Advocating with international and regional human rights mechanisms for nations to take effective action against FGM.
4. Collaborating with partners to call for legal reforms and shift cultural norms in communities where FGM is still practiced.
5. Training journalists on how to sensitively report on FGM.