International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation 2026

About

6 February 2026 marks the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). As we move closer to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, progress towards ending FGM remains at a critical juncture. FGM is a serious violation of the rights and well-being of girls and women, with an estimated 230 million survivors worldwide and around 4 million affected by the harmful practice every year.

While the movement to end FGM continues to protect every woman and girl, core challenges remain. Across regions shrinking resources are weakening protection efforts and risking the reversal of hard-won gains made over the past decades. Local women- and youth-led organizations, including community-based organizations are facing increasing funding uncertainty, despite their central role in shifting social and gender norms and providing services and key support to girls. Progress is also challenged by the growing pushback against gender equality and child rights.

These dynamics urge all of us, including governments, communities, civil society organizations, donors, young changemakers, survivors, the UN and international agencies, and partners, to come together, pool resources, and strengthen collective action to #EndFGM.

Against this backdrop, the theme for February 6th, 2026, is, "Towards 2030: No End To FGM Without Sustained Commitment and Investment." This requires a combined effort of political leadership, strong systems, financial resources, community action, evidence and data, and platforms that include and act on girls’ and survivors’ voices. By strengthening partnerships, scaling effective solutions, and reinforcing a coordinated movement, we can safeguard progress and accelerate action until FGM is eliminated everywhere. 

On February 6th, the UNFPA–UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of FGM calls on everyone to join us in raising awareness about the need to end this harmful practice using #Invest2EndFGM and #EndFGM. Let us stand together, reinforce commitments, and accelerate progress to create a world free from FGM. 

The advocacy flyer in English, French, Arabic, Portuguese, and Spanish, including the key messages and the logo style guide, can be found on the right-hand side of this page.