It's estimated that 125 million women have undergone female genital mutilation (FGM). Victims of FGM are left with lifelong physical and emotional trauma, including increased pain during menstruation and intercourse, urinary problems, and birth complications.
Combatting FGM is now a global issue and a few countries have seen great success, but progress has been slow. Kenya’s rates of FGM fell from 38% in 1998 to 26% in 2008, and in the Central African Republic rates dropped from 43% in 1994 to 24% in 2010. “Since 2008, nearly 10,000 communities in 15 countries, representing about 8 million people, have renounced the practice,” reports an FGM expert from UNFPA.
International agencies are increasing their efforts, reviewing and strategizing for the next 5 years. This includes a continuation of human rights-based education programs, enforcement of anti-FGM legislation, as well as an increase in national and local initiatives.
Compiled from: Slow progress in ending female genital mutilation, WHO (2014).