International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation

International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation

International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) seeks to raise awareness and promote an end to harmful practice. This day is dedicated to amplifying the voices of survivors, advocates, and communities to eliminate FGM, an act recognized internationally as a violation of human rights against girls and women. Promoting education and dialogue, its key aspects are to break the silence, increase understanding, provide support to victims, and enact effective legislation to end the practice.

Compelling history underpins the International Day of Zero Tolerance to FGM. It was initiated by the First Lady of Nigeria, Stella Obasanjo, representing the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices Affecting the Health of Women and Children. The observance gained global footing when the UN Sub-Commission on Human Rights adopted this day in 2003. Even in America, according to the Center for Disease Control, over half a million women and girls are at risk of FGM—emphasizing that this is not an issue confined to any specific region but is pervasive irrespective of geographical location.

In America, International Day of Zero Tolerance to FGM is marked through educational events, advocacy programs, and media campaigns. These initiatives provide critical information, highlighting the aspect of FGM as a human rights violation and its dire health consequences. There's a concentrated effort to involve schools, universities, community groups, and healthcare providers in the fight against FGM. Coinciding with the global observance, this day is marked annually on February 6 in America as well, complying with the UN's designated date, solidifying America's commitment against this harmful practice.

Top 10 Facts for International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation in 2026

• The upcoming 2026 observance is centered around the theme Towards 2030: No end to female genital mutilation without sustained commitment and investment, which emphasizes the critical need for financial and political backing to meet global elimination targets.
• An estimated 4 million girls are projected to be at risk of undergoing the practice in 2026 alone, contributing to a global total of over 230 million women and girls who have already been affected.
• Economic analyses indicate that for every $1 invested in ending these procedures, there is a potential for $10 in economic benefits due to improved health outcomes and increased educational and labor participation for women.
• To reach the United Nations’ Goal 5 of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, the current rate of progress must accelerate approximately 27 times faster than what has been observed over the last decade.
• The medical complications resulting from these practices are estimated to cost global health systems roughly $1.4 billion annually, a figure that is expected to rise without significant intervention.
• Activism surrounding the day often highlights powerful creative narratives, such as the biographical film A Girl from Mogadishu, which tells the true story of activist Ifrah Ahmed’s journey to the European Parliament to campaign against the practice.
• Educational campaigns frequently feature literature from survivors, including the works Wings for the Butterfly: The Day My Life Started Over and the 2026 campaign-featured book The Kingdom of Watetu and Songaland: An African Fairytale by Ntailan Lolkoki.
• The End FGM European Network is scheduled to launch its major 2026 annual campaign at the European Parliament on the eve of the observance to address the persistence of the practice within diaspora communities in Western Europe and North America.
• Global digital mobilization for the event is organized around the official hashtags #Invest2EndFGM and #EndFGM to consolidate international stories of resilience and advocacy strategies.
• While the practice is traditionally concentrated in 30 countries across Africa and the Middle East, it is increasingly recognized as a universal human rights issue affecting girls in Asia, Latin America, and Western nations.

In the News and Trending in the US for International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation

Top things to do in the US for this observance

• Traditional values and practices can be harmful especially if those practices carry unnecessary risk. It is believed that older generations are more likely to carry on such traditions despite scientific evidence against them. According to the U.N, adolescent girls aged 15-19 are less supportive of female genital mutilation than women aged 45-49. The U.N recommends investing in youth-led movements to help achieve gender equality and to eliminate violence against women and girls. Learn how you can become involved in their latest campaign Generation Equality.
• Learn more about the health risks of female genital mutilation and how you can help prevent the practice of it.
• Donate to reputable charities or organizations that help promote women equality like Every Woman, Every Child.