Observance of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation

The United States stands with the more than 200 million survivors of female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C) around the world in a posture of “zero tolerance” for the practice. We stand resolutely against the practice of FGM/C as a form of gender-based violence and a human rights abuse that threatens the lives and futures of girls and young women in nearly 30 countries around the world, including the United States.  Women and girls in all their diversity deserve to live free from gender-based violence and to make their own choices about their bodies, lives, and futures.

Without significant and accelerated action, countries with persistently high levels of FGM/C will not reach the Sustainable Development Goal global target of elimination by 2030.  The United States is proud to continue supporting global programs to end this abuse, including a $5 million annual contribution to the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation.

In line with the 2022 update to the U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally, we will continue to work towards eliminating FGM/C wherever it occurs, in partnership with survivors, locally led women’s organizations, and youth-led groups and networks.