International Day of Zero Tolerance to FGM/C

The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) joins the global community in observing February 6^th as the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation, an internationally recognized day to foster awareness of the devastating effects of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and to renew the call for the abandonment of this harmful traditional practice. Some 100 to 140 million girls and women worldwide currently live with the consequences of this dangerous practice.

USAID has supported FGM/C abandonment efforts since the early 1990s, considering FGM/C not only a public health issue but also a violation of a woman’s right to bodily integrity. Over the years, the Agency has found through programs and research that the process of positive social transformation can occur when programs and policies focus on enabling communities to make their own collective choice to abandon FGM/C. These efforts are enhanced by educational campaigns and policy change. The U.S. government supports the women and men around the world who denounce this egregious practice and act to abolish it.

Learn more:

• Share the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting Infographic [PDF, 184KB] using the hashtag #EndFGM on Twitter and Facebook and add your voice to call for the abandonment of this harmful traditional practice
• Read the blog post “Eliminating Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting” by USAID’s Deputy Administrator for Global Health, Katie Taylor, and “Why support efforts to abandon Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting?” by USAID’s Ellen Starbird
• Learn more about the International Day of Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting
• Read the report Ending FGM/C Lessons from a Decade of Progress