With 230 million and girls affected, we need a step change by governments and donors in their urgent efforts to address this devastating human rights abuse.
- According to a new report from UNICEF, 230 million women and girls are affected by FGM around the world, a 15% increase from 2016. Around three thirds of these live in just four countries – Egypt, Nigeria, Indonesia and Ethiopia.
- Attitudes are changing, but population growth and instability in areas of high FGM prevalence means we are still fighting an uphill battle.
- Grassroots funding urgently needed to accelerate an end to FGM. With just six years left until 2030, the UK government and others need to transform how they fund and support locally-led coalitions for change.
- The Five Foundation recently hosted the second FGM Philanthropy Summit in London, bringing together over a dozen funders to launch a new global donor alliance to end FGM.
“As a survivor, I know all about the devastating consequences that FGM has on women and girls. The new estimates showing a huge increase of 30 million more affected is not just shocking but personally devastating, especially when we know what works and we could have prevented this from happening.
We know that those living in countries that are most affected by FGM are central to ending it. Women at the grassroots are fighting tooth and nail to change hearts and minds, but the UK government and others are still not funding them to any meaningful extent. I had so much hope a decade ago at the Girl Summit, when David Cameron stood up for women like me as Prime Minister and made a commitment to help end FGM in a generation. We could be celebrating today rather than holding back tears.
I hope that now as Foreign Secretary when Lord Cameron sees these figures they will serve as a harsh reminder that we have to do things differently. We must use the last six years of this decade to finally get to grips with this abhorrent abuse of a girl’s human rights and save the next generation from the horrors of FGM. I am optimistic that we can do this because I have seen in my own family and in my birth city of Hargeisa how things are changing. Progress is possible but it is not inevitable. It needs real leadership and partnership from our government with organisations like The Five Foundation.
In February, The Five Foundation hosted an FGM Philanthropy Summit in London with former Prime Minister Theresa May and over a dozen major donors to discuss the urgent need for more funding on the issue of FGM. We are now working to build consensus for a global alliance to bring new funding to where it is needed. It cannot happen a moment too soon for the 12,000 girls who continue to be at risk every single day – most of whom live on the African continent”
– Nimco Ali, CEO, The Five Foundation, The Global Partnership To End FGM.