Last year, one of us sat with a mother in rural Ethiopia who whispered that her youngest daughter would not be cut. She had seen her older daughters suffer and decided the cycle would end. But just this month, in The Gambia, a newborn baby girl died after being subjected to FGM. One mother’s courage and one baby’s death capture the stark choice…, nearly one million girls in our region are subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM). One million too man, y. UNICEF’s new report reminds us of the scale of the challenge:, 42 million girls and women in Eastern and Southern Africa have already been cut, nearly one in five of all cases worldwide, . Ethiopia carries the largest share. Behind each statistic is a girl with a name, a face, and a future that deserves joy, not pain. There has been progress, especially for adolescent girls from 15 to 19 years and we claim it proudly, . Eritrea has reduced prevalence from 93 to 69 per cent, Ethiopia from 77 to 47 per cent, Kenya from 26 to 9 per cent, and Tanzania from 17 to 4 per cent over the last three decades, . These victories show what is possible when women speak, when communities act, and when governments listen. Yet as the population is growing, risks have doubled. Progress is real, but not yet fast enough. FGM takes different forms across our region. In Eritrea and Ethiopia, many girls are cut before their fifth birthday. In Somalia, it is most…, So, what must change?, Laws matter, but they must be enforced with political will., Education, skills, and leadership opportunities give girls the confidence to say no and ensure their “no” is respected., Intersectional approaches are needed to reach those most at risk. Community health workers, teachers, police officers, and social workers all have a role to play., Partners must remain steadfast, —sustaining support, mobilizing resources, and upholding their unwavering commitments to fund the fight to end FGM., Health, social welfare and legal , systems must be equipped to protect girls at risk and support survivors. Families also need alternatives, and social protection like cash transfers can help provide them., Communities must lead, . Our culture and traditions should nurture our children, not harm them., Conflict, displacement, and disasters put girls at even greater risk., Child protection must be safeguarded everywhere in emergencies as well as in times of peace. The evidence is a wake-up call., If current trends continue, FGM will remain widespread in some countries by 2030. That is not the Africa we want for our daughters, . As African women, we know the strength of our communities and the resilience of our cultures. Culture is not static; it evolves. In Kenya and Tanzania, prevalence is now in single digits. In Ethiopia, millions of families have already chosen to abandon the practice. Transformation is possible, and that change can come faster when we choose…, Each year, one million girls are still being cut. One million little bodies scarred. One million dreams interrupted., And as the tragedy in The Gambia shows us, one cut can mean a life lost. We owe it to our daughters, and to theirs, to end this practice once and for all. One million is one million too many. The time for change is now.
Eastern and Southern Africa