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Friend, female genital mutilation (FGM) is a major violation of a woman’s dignity and autonomy – but tragically, 4 million girls are mutilated every single year.

This barbaric practice – in which a girl’s community, or sometimes her own family, forcibly cuts and removes all or part of her external genitalia with a knife – remains all too common. Today, there are approximately 200 million survivors of FGM – and every day, they suffer from the physical and psychological consequences of being mutilated.

The horrors of FGM cannot be overstated. Every year, too many girls bleed to death from this practice, too many girls contract HIV/AIDS from unsterile equipment, and too many girls go into septic shock from it. The girls who do survive the procedure are likely to face an array of potential health issues – such as chronic infections, post-traumatic stress disorder, and childbirth complications.

Women and girls deserve better. We can help ensure that the 200 million FGM survivors alive today are the LAST generation to be mutilated – but that involves all of us working together. Friend, we must know where you stand on this issue ASAP, so please respond to our flash poll:

Thank you for fighting fearlessly for the dignity and safety of girls everywhere.

USA for UNFPA

FOR EVERY WOMAN AND GIRL