By Rositta Liosi – EMTV Online
Most senior United Nations (UN) officials are urging the world to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) by 2030. This comes in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals, which contain a specific target to end FGM.
“All of us must join in this call. There simply is no place for FGM in the future we are striving to create – a future where every girl will grow up able to experience her inherent dignity, human rights and equality by 2030,” said UN Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director Dr. Babatunde Osotimehin and UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake in a statement
According to a new FGM statistical report published by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) at least 200 million girls and women alive today have undergone female genital mutilation in 30 countries – representing a 70 million increase in the global figure which was estimated for 2014.
The UN Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon said “Never before has it been more urgent – or more possible – to end the practice of female genital mutilation, preventing immeasurable human suffering and boosting the power of women and girls to have a positive impact on our world.”
His message was made ahead of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation marked annually on February 6.
“Today I raise my voice and call on others to join me in empowering communities which themselves are eager for change,” he declared.
“I count on governments to honour their pledges with support from civil society, health providers, the media and young people.”
There has been an upsurge in efforts to address female genital mutilation. However the overall rate of progress is not enough to keep up with population growth.
The UN finds that if current trends continue the number of girls and women subjected to FMG will increase significantly over the next 15 years.
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