The
world must make faster progress to end female genital mutilation by 2030
It
irreparably damages girls’ bodies, inflicting excruciating pain. It causes
extreme emotional trauma that can last a lifetime.
It
increases the risk of deadly complications during pregnancy, labor and childbirth,
endangering both mother and child.
It
robs girls of their autonomy and violates their human rights.
It
reflects the low status of girls and women and reinforces gender inequality,
fueling inter-generational cycles of discrimination and harm.
It
is female genital mutilation. And
despite all the progress we have made toward abolishing this violent practice,
millions of girls -- many of them under the age of 15 -- will be forced to
undergo it this year alone. Sadly, they
will join the almost 200 million girls and women around the world who are
already living with the damage FGM causes – and whose communities are already
affected by its impact.
In
2015, the Sustainable Development Goals recognized the close connection between
FGM, gender inequality, and development – and reignited global action to end
FGM by 2030.
In
2016, more than 2,900 communities, representing more than 8.4 million people
living in countries where UNFPA and UNICEF work jointly to end FGM, declared
they had abandoned the practice.
In
2017, we must demand faster action to build on this progress. That means calling on governments to enact
and enforce laws and policies that protect the rights of girls and women and
prevent FGM/C.
It
means creating greater access to support services for those at risk of
undergoing FGM and those who have survived it.
It also means driving greater demand for those services, providing
families and communities with information about the harm FGM causes – and the benefits
to be gained by ending it.
And
ultimately, it means families and communities taking action themselves and
refusing to permit their girls to endure the violation of FGM.
Let
us make this the generation that abolishes FGM once and for all – and in doing
so, helps create a healthier, better world for all.
