The United Nations warns that an estimated 4.5 million girls worldwide are at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM) in 2026. In a joint statement released on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, UNICEF and the World Health Organization said many of those threatened are children under the age of five.
FGM involves the partial or total removal of external female genitalia and is practised in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia for religious or traditional reasons. It is typically carried out on girls before puberty and is justified by cultural myths—such as claims about preserving virginity—that have no medical basis. The procedure can cause severe and lifelong physical and psychological harm. The UN estimates some 230 million women and girls worldwide are survivors of FGM.
Leaders of WHO, UNICEF and other UN bodies called FGM a violation of human rights that cannot be justified and urged continued, intensified efforts to eliminate it. They noted progress: overall prevalence among girls has fallen, with half of the reductions since 1990 occurring in the past decade. That change has lowered the proportion of girls subjected to FGM from roughly one in two to about one in three in affected communities.
The agencies stressed the need for sustained support for survivors, including access to comprehensive, culturally appropriate health care, psychosocial services and legal assistance. They warned that sharp cuts to international aid and growing organized opposition to anti-FGM initiatives threaten recent gains. Without predictable funding, community outreach and frontline services risk being scaled back, which could leave millions more girls exposed to FGM and make it harder to meet the Sustainable Development Goal of ending the practice by 2030.