The journey to womanhood should never be defined by pain or the risk of lifelong trauma, but for more than 230 million girls and women, the reality of female genital mutilation (FGM) has left a lasting mark.
From the immediate dangers of infection to long-term complications during childbirth and deep psychological distress, the physical and emotional toll of female genital mutilation is immense. Without a dedicated push to change this, 68 million more girls are projected to face this practice by 2030.
Despite this hard reality, we are seeing that when we invest in the collective strength of people, their skills, their stories, and their leadership, true change takes root.
The following stories from across the region show how ending FGM is possible when we match financial resources with human initiative. From the rescue centres of Kenya to the door-to-door education efforts in Ethiopia, here are the voices and the strategies turning the tide, ensuring that the next generation of girls can grow up with their dignity and bodies intact.
So, how do we end this complex and harmful practice? And how do we use the invaluable investments into ending female genital mutilation to actually change lives?
1. Creating safe spaces that empower
When the choice is between harm and being an outcast, a safe space to rest and grow makes all the difference. It is the turning point where hurt ends and healing begins.
In Kenya, Mission with a Vision is a place of respite and hope. 3,200 girls escaping female genital mutilation, child marriage, rape and other forms of gender-based violence have benefited from the services of Mission with a Vision. The shelter, not just a place of safety, is equipped to build capacity and empower, fostering leaders and young women who become change agents. With funding from Norway, UNFPA has supported the Mission with a Vision rescue centre by expanding its skills-based training programme and equipping its quarters with much-needed supplies.
2. Community-centred and led
Communities in the Mara Region have historically had some of the highest FGM prevalence rates in Tanzania. The women there lived and survived bearing the pain of a practice that only hurt them for generations. Through dialogues, with not only them, but their leaders, both traditional and religious, the survivors have now become a strong voice of dissent. Growing as leaders in the movement against female genital mutilation.
Now, more than 60 survivors act as advocates and facilitators, amplifying local voices and expanding awareness across the district. Community protection mechanisms continue to grow stronger, helping girls at risk access safe shelters and ensuring collaboration with police gender desks.
3. Involve Men
To effectively create sustainable behaviour change, we must engage everyone in the community, empowering men to speak out against FGM to challenge and transform entrenched social norms and putting women and girls in harm’s way. In Ethiopia, men are going door-to-door to educate, identify, intervene and protect women and girls.
Through committees, men are organized, educated and ready to act. "When the news reached me, they were on their way to bring a traditional doctor to perform the procedure," Abdi recalls. "I knew I had to act quickly." Abdi Abegaz recalls when hearing that a girl in his neighbourhood was about to undergo the procedure.
4. Challenge Gender Norms
An athletics coach would not be the obvious choice for an advocate against Female Genital Mutilation, but Zuena Cheptoek uses her position to engage and challenge traditional gender norms that keep girls out of school and put them in a situation where female genital mutilation can occur.
“They tell me things they cannot tell anyone else about pressure to undergo FGM, about being told to quit school, about relationships that make them feel unsafe”, explains Zuena. In Sebei, deeply rooted gender norms often reduce girls’ value to early marriage, unpaid domestic labour, and childbearing.
5. Financing with Diversified Funding Mechanisms
While human initiative is the spark, sustainable change requires a foundation of stable, diversified funding. In Eritrea, the movement to end FGM is becoming unstoppable by being woven into the fabric of government and development programs.
By moving beyond a reliance solely on donor-driven initiatives, Eritrea has ensured that the protection of girls is a long-term priority. Key institutions, including the Ministries for Health, Labour and Social Welfare, and the National Union of Eritrean Women, have dedicated specific personnel and resources to this mission.
When a country invests its own national resources into these programs, it sends a clear message: a future free from harm is not just a goal—it is a guarantee.
Our Commitment
By supporting safe shelters, empowering survivors to lead advocacy, and engaging men and coaches to challenge old norms, we are witnessing the change from harmful traditions to hopeful growth. The UNFPA–UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of FGM is the largest global programme to accelerate the elimination of female genital mutilation (FGM) in 18 countries, including four countries in East and Southern Africa with support extended to Tanzania and South Sudan.
In 2024, the Programme supported over 128,445 women and girls with prevention and protection services on female genital mutilation in Kenya, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Uganda.
The Joint Programme, launched in 2008, has consistently focused on building collaboration to promote action at all levels. Engaging with communities, regional actors, local governments and local leaders to end female genital mutilation.
