The United Nations says to end female genital mutilation across the world it will require some $2.4 billion spend over the next decade.
The global body said this in a joint statement signed by the executive director of the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF), Henrietta Fore and that of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr Natalia Kanem, on the 2021 International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Gender Mutilation, only united and well-funded action could end this violation.
It said 2 million more cases of female genital mutilation may occur in the next decade as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced schools to close and disrupted programmes that previously helped to protect girls from harmful practices.
“Far from dampening our ambition, however, the pandemic has sharpened our resolve to protect the four million girls and women who are at the risk of female gender mutilation each year,” it said.
“This will require some $2.4 billion over the next decade, which breaks down to less than $100 per girl. This is a very small price to pay for preserving a girl’s bodily integrity, her health and right to say “no” to violation. However, most of this money has yet to be raised.”
