MONICA KAYOMBO, Zambia, Lusaka
In 2026 alone, an estimated 4.5 million girls, many under the age of five, are at risk of undergoing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), the World Health Organisation (WHO) has revealed. WHO observes that currently, more than 230 million girls and women are living with the lifelong consequences of FGM.
In a separate development, on February 6, SHE and Rights feminists held a virtual session to mark International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) and invited Ms. Catherine Meng’anyo to share her experience with FGM. The Organisation emphasises that the FGM practice violates a person’s right to health, safety, and bodily integrity and, in the most tragic cases, their right to life.
It says FGM causes severe pain, blood loss, difficulties urinating, infections, mental health disorders, menstrual problems, complications during childbirth, and pain during sexual intercourse, among others. WHO says that Ms. Meng’anyi is a survivor, a nurse, and a passionate advocate for ending FGM. She demonstrates how health workers can play a leading role in preventing harmful practices. She has worked with communities to protect hundreds of young girls from FGM and early marriage in Kenya.
During the virtual session by SHE and Rights initiative, Ms. Meng’anyi spoke about her advocacy work to end FGM and sensitize women and girls about this inhumane practice. Global Lead, End Harmful Practices, and Equality Now, Divya Srinivasan, discussed the new equality report launched on February 4, 2026, stating that FGM is taking place in at least 94 countries across the globe, while only 54 countries are working towards addressing FGM despite the existence of FGM laws.
Ms. Srinivasan said FGM survivors should have access to justice and be able to report the barriers they encounter in their quest for justice. She noted that many countries lack FGM victim protection laws, making it difficult for FGM survivors to access justice. Other topics discussed during the session included community-led cancer responses, such as those for cervical and breast cancers.
This SHE and Rights session also marked the 20th anniversary of the Universal Periodic Review (UPR), noting that cancer reduction is a human rights issue. Shobha Shukla of the Citizens News Service (CNS) observed that Gender-Based Violence (GBV) has barely declined since 2000, while FGM, linked to SDGs 3 and 5, has risen by 15% in the past eight years, despite global pledges to end the practice by 2030.
Other speakers included Debanjana Choudhuri, an independent gender justice activist, who discussed India’s landmark decision to recognize menstrual hygiene as a fundamental right for women and girls. Additional speakers were Health Programmes Coordinator Subrat Mohanty, Safiya Riyaz from The Asian-Pacific Resource & Research Centre for Women (ARROW), and journalist and lawyer Ruchi Bhattar.
The United Nations (UN) and other global partners have committed to ending FGM by 2030, describing it as a violent practice that scars girls for life, endangers their health, deprives them of their rights, and denies them the chance to reach their full potential.
