{"id":25841,"date":"2025-01-14T04:03:39","date_gmt":"2025-01-14T12:03:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.worldvision.org\/?p=25841"},"modified":"2026-01-27T13:42:58","modified_gmt":"2026-01-27T21:42:58","slug":"female-genital-mutilation-fgm-facts","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.worldvision.org\/child-protection-news-stories\/female-genital-mutilation-fgm-facts","title":{"rendered":"6 facts about female genital mutilation (FGM)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]Every year, millions of girls face a life-altering procedure rooted in harmful traditions. Female genital mutilation (FGM) is more than a practice — it’s a violation of human rights.<\/p>\n

An estimated 230 million women and girls alive today have undergone FGM, according to U.N. agencies. New estimates show a 15% increase in survivors<\/a> since the last data was released in 2016, meaning 30 million more have undergone FGM.<\/p>\n

While the likelihood of women and girls being subjected to FGM has declined in recent decades, the rising number of girls born into countries where FGM is practiced underscores the urgent need for preventative efforts to address the growing risk.<\/p>\n

To stop the practice, the United Nations (U.N.) established the International Day of Zero Tolerance <\/a>for FGM, observed annually on February 6. The U.N. Sustainable Development Goal 5 (gender equality) also calls for intensified global efforts to end FGM by 2030.<\/p>\n

Here are six facts you should know about female genital mutilation:[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text css=””]<\/p>\n

1. The definition of female genital mutilation<\/h2>\n

FGM involves the partial or complete removal of the female external genitalia and may include other injuries to the female genital organs for nonmedical reasons. It is internationally recognized as a violation of human rights and a form of gender-based violence. The procedure is most often carried out on girls between birth and age 15 and is known in some areas as female circumcision or cutting.<\/p>\n

2. The consequences of FGM for girls and women are painful and long-lasting<\/h2>\n

FGM has severe implications for the physical, psychological, and sexual and reproductive health of girls and women. Often performed under unsanitary conditions without an anesthetic, FGM can cause:<\/p>\n