Female Genital Mutilation: Gov’t, partners drum sustained commitment, investment to end harmful practice.

This was during activities commemorating the 19th edition of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation. 

It was observed under the theme: “Invest in Girls and Communities for a Future without Female Genital Mutilation”.

Government officials, representatives of UN bodies, civil society organisations and community leaders attended the event. Focus was to reflect on progress made and challenges ahead in the fight against the harmful practice. 

The International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM was established on February 6, 2003, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during an international conference organised by the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices at the initiative of African First Ladies and under the auspices of the African Union. 

It was later endorsed by the United Nations Economic and Social Council, and in December 2012, by the UN General Assembly through Resolution A/RES/67/146 on intensifying global efforts to eliminate FGM.

Speaking at the ceremony, the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family, Prof Marie Thérèse Abena Ondoa, reminded participants that FGM is serious violation of the fundamental rights of women and girls and a major threat to their physical and psychological well-being.

Citing data from UNICEF, the minister noted that as of 2016, at least 200 million girls and women in 30 countries across Africa, the Middle East and Asia underwent one form of FGM, including clitoridectomy, excision or infibulation. 

She stressed that while global and national efforts are yielding results, the persistence of the practice in some communities calls for stronger and more coordinated action.

The minister said this year’s theme underscores the importance of adopting a sustainable and inclusive approach to eradicate the practice by focusing on education, protection and empowerment of girls, while strengthening the capacity of communities to drive social change.

She explained that investing in girls is promoting their fundamental rights and ensuring their access to education, health services, protection and information. 

“It is about building their capacities to know and exercise their rights, resist social pressures such as early marriage, and become agents of their own transformation,” she stated.

She was firm that empowerment and holistic care for survivors remain key pillars in the fight against FGM.

She also harped on investing in communities by raising awareness among families, traditional and religious leaders, men and boys, and other stakeholders. 

The minister said the approach seeks to transform social and cultural norms that perpetuate the practice and encourage the voluntary abandonment of harmful traditions in favour of values that respect human rights.

Minister Abena Ondoa said Cameroon has over the years undertaken several initiatives to combat FGM. She cited the implementation of the UN General Assembly Resolution on intensifying action against the practice, the adoption of Law No. 2016/007 of July 12, 2016, which criminalizes FGM under Articles 277 and following of the Criminal Code, and the development of a National Action Plan for the Elimination of FGM of 2022–2026. 

She also mentioned support for the economic reconversion of excision practitioners, the establishment of local FGM prevention committees coordinated, the dissemination of educational materials to promote behavior change, and the implementation of the National Strategy to Combat Gender-Based Violence. 

Partnerships with national and international organisations, she said, have also been strengthened to reinforce prevention and protection efforts.

Despite the strides, Prof Abena Ondoa regretted that significant challenges remain, including persistent socio-cultural resistance, increased vulnerability of girls in at-risk areas, limited community empowerment, and insufficient sustainable resources to support prevention and protection programs. 

“It is therefore extremely important that we take action at all levels and work together to remove these obstacles. I firmly believe that together, we will achieve, or at least come closer to achieving our goal of zero tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation by 2030,” she said.

Enter UN Agencies

In a joint statement read during the ceremony, the Executive Directors of UNFPA, UNICEF, UN Women, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the WHO Director-General and the UNESCO Director-General, revealed that in 2026 alone, an estimated 4.5 million girls, many under the age of five, are at risk of undergoing FGM, while over 230 million girls and women are currently living with its consequences. 

The UN leaders reaffirmed their commitment to ending the practice and ensuring that survivors have access to quality health care, psychosocial support and legal assistance. 

They stressed that FGM is a violation of human rights that cannot be justified under any circumstance and that it leads to serious, lifelong health complications, with global treatment costs estimated at about USD 1.4 billion annually.

The statement noted that interventions over the past three decades are yielding results, with nearly two-thirds of populations in affected countries now supporting the elimination of FGM. 

Progress in recent years, it was said, has reduced the proportion of girls subjected to the practice from one in two to one in three.

The UN officials warned that gains could be reversed due to declining global investment in health, education and child protection programs. 

They cautioned that without adequate and predictable financing, community outreach initiatives could be scaled back and frontline services weakened, putting millions more girls at risk.

This article was first published in The Guardian Post Edition No:3699 of Monday February 09, 2026