The current war between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Rapid Support Forces (RSF) risks undermining much of the anti-Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) progress as healthcare infrastructure collapses and the population is plunged into extreme poverty. Data from the 2014 Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey hints at a generational shift away from FGM, with 66.3% of girls aged 0 to 14 undergoing the procedure in comparison to 86.6% of women aged 15 to 49. Public health campaigns have focused on the community drivers of FGM, transitioning traditional midwives who previously carried out FGM into official roles within the public health system. Legal efforts to outlaw FGM have also been implemented by the Sudanese transitional government in 2020, although enforcement is unfeasible with the ongoing war, as governance is disrupted.
The war between the SAF and RSF has caused widespread societal collapse in Sudan, dismantling many of the legal and public initiatives led by the transitional government. Midwives once employed by the health system risk unemployment or income, increasing the risk that some return to performing FGM to survive. Sexual violence is also extensively documented as a tactic of war, as well as exacerbating poverty and food insecurity. As a result, Sudanese communities may revert to harmful practices such as child marriage and FGM as a strategy to regroup socially and financially. Despite the hostilities, grassroots efforts, and the United Nations continue to lead humanitarian initiatives to address concerns about FGM, health and public infrastructure.
Compiled From: “Sudan’s war threatens fragile progress against FGM,” Dabanga Sudan, Feb. 6, 2026.