Female circumcision causes damage to more than 230 million girls, and an international invitation to eliminate it

They warned in a joint statement on the occasion International Day of Lack of Tolerance at all for the distortion of the female genital organs Until 27 million additional girls may be exposed to these violations by 2030 if there are no urgent action.

The statement was issued by Dr. Natalia Caeim, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund, Catherine Russell, UNICEF Executive Director, and Dr. Tedros Adhanom Gyrebressus, Director General of the World Health Organization.

Commitment

The United Nations revives the International Day for the lack of tolerance at all for the distortion of female genital organs on February 6 of each year, and this year comes under the slogan:Speeding the pace of work: strengthening alliances and building movements to end female genital mutilation.

In this context, the three officials affirmed their commitment to work with countries and societies to put an end to this harmful practice. They pointed to what they described as remarkable progress in countries such as Kenya and Uganda, where joint efforts and community initiatives led to a decrease in female circumcision rates.

The statement added that among the 31 countries in which statements are collected on the spread of female circumcision, only seven countries are running on the right path to achieve the goal of sustainable development of ending this practice by 2030, which requires accelerating the pace of progress urgently.

UN officials pointed out that achieving this goal requires strengthening alliances between leaders, popular organizations and various sectors such as health, education and social protection, as well as expanding the social movements that put girls and survivors at the heart of their efforts.

Justice for survivors

The statement also called for more accountability – at all levels – to ensure the implementation of policies and strategies that protect girls and provide care and justice for survivors, in addition to increasing investment in tried interventions.

In conclusion, the Umayyad officials confirmed in their statement by saying: “We all have a role that we play to ensure the protection of every girl to live a life -free life. Let us work to speed up the pace of work and move urgently. It is time to end female circumcision.”