Report Identifies Female Genital Mutilation in 94 Countries

Equality Now identified evidence of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in 94 countries, and suggests that the number of affected women and girls is higher than previously estimated. The findings highlight challenges in efforts to eradicate FGM/C, including inadequate legal protections, lack of data, and insufficient funding. Investigations are ongoing in Mexico, Panama, and Peru, where FGM/C may be occurring among indigenous groups, states the report.

"Mounting evidence shows that FGM/C is a worldwide issue demanding a coordinated global response," says Divya Srinivasan, Global Lead on Ending Harmful Practices, Equality Now. The study, published by the End FGM European Network, Equality Now, and the US Network to End FGM/C, compiles small-scale surveys, estimates, and survivor accounts. “To end FGM/C, governments, international bodies, and donors must acknowledge the extent of the problem, strengthen their political commitments to addressing it, and prioritize funding, especially in overlooked regions and communities," added Srinivasan. 

This report follows a 2020 study by the same organizations, which warned that FGM/C was being underestimated worldwide. Since 2020, the practice has been identified in communities in Azerbaijan, Cambodia, and Vietnam, with evidence emerging from Colombia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, and the United Arab Emirates. Research is underway in Mexico, Panama and Peru regarding the possible occurrence of FGM/C among indigenous groups.

A 2024 UNICEF estimate places the number of women and girls affected by FGM/C at over 230 million, an increase from the 200 million estimated in 2020. This rise is attributed to newly available data from previously unexamined regions and ongoing population growth in areas where the practice is prevalent. Detailed national prevalence data is available for 31 countries.

FGM/C is internationally recognized as a human rights violation with no health benefits, often leading to severe physical and psychological consequences, including chronic pain, infections, infertility, and complications during childbirth. Violence against women is one of the most widespread, persistent and devastating human rights violations in the world, says the UN, and remains largely unreported due to the impunity, silence, stigma and shame surrounding it.  Equality Now reports that in some cases, governments have actively dismissed or discredited survivor-led activism, obstructing progress. The WHO explains violence has immediate effects on women’s health, which in some cases is fatal. Furthermore, physical, mental and behavioral health consequences can also persist long after the violence has stopped, as reported by MBN.

Although FGM/C is documented in 94 countries, only 58 have explicit laws prohibiting the practice, resulting in a lack of legal protection in others. Equality Now reports that medicalization for FGM/C practices is increasing, with UNICEF reporting that 66% of recent cases were performed by healthcare providers, particularly in Egypt, Indonesia, and Kenya. Some clinics in Russia openly advertise FGM/C services, further complicating eradication efforts.

Equality Now reports a growing awareness of other procedures, such as the "husband stitch," which is performed during vaginal repair after childbirth without the woman's consent. Cases have been documented in Europe, Japan, and the United States, with survivors comparing the procedure to FGM/C due to its lasting health consequences.

UN set the goal of completely eradicating FGM/C by 2030, in line with the Sustainable Development Goals. CNDH extended its support to this goal on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.

"Millions of individuals around the world live with the lifelong consequences of FGM/C. Their courage in sharing their stories has brought global attention to this harmful practice and strengthened the movement to end it," says Caitlin LeMay, Executive Director, US End FGM/C Network.