One Million Too Many: Voices of African Women on Ending FGM
Nearly one million girls in Eastern and Southern Africa are still subjected to female genital mutilation every year
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 before us: either we protect our daughters, or we allow the cycle of harm to continue.
We speak as women of Eastern and Southern Africa who believe in the strength of our communities and in every girl’s right to grow up free from harm. Too many of our girls are still being cut. Yet alongside the pain, we see courage, resilience, and change. We know this practice can end in our lifetime, if we act together.
Every year, nearly one million girls in our region are subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM). One million too many. 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%, Ethiopia from 77% to 47%, Kenya from 26% to 9%, and Tanzania from 17% to 4% 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 common between ages five and nine. And increasingly, FGM is medicalized – performed by health professionals in clinical settings under the false assumption that it is safer. But there is no safe form of FGM. Medicalization only legitimizes harmful practice and undermines continental efforts to end it entirely.
The practice crosses borders and ethnic lines, from the Horn of Africa to the Kenya–Tanzania frontier. And its impact is shaped by intersectional factors – poverty, gender inequality, displacement, access to education all intersect to increase a girl’s vulnerability. A girl living in a rural area, out of school and from a marginalized community is far more likely to be cut.
We know what protects our girls. A girl who stays in school is far less likely to be cut. Living in urban areas or in families with greater resources also lowers the risk. And we have seen how, when girls are given the chance to speak out, they inspire their peers, families, and even elders to abandon the practice.
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 courage over silence.
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.
