What is the Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation?
UNFPA, in partnership with UNICEF, leads the largest global programme to accelerate the elimination of female genital mutilation. The Programme is implemented in 18 focus countries in Africa and Asia: Burkina Faso, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Kenya, Mali, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sudan, Somalia, Uganda and Yemen, with a reach and influence in other countries and regions where this harmful practice is prevalent.
The Joint Programme was established in 2008, with both agencies working in close collaboration with governments and partners across all levels – grassroots, community, subnational, national, regional and global. It covers multiple sectors – among them social, education, health, religion, economics and politics – advocating for the scale-up of evidence-based interventions and results. Currently the programme focuses on five strategies: promoting girls’ agency; building movements with a special focus on youth; engaging women-led organizations; funding diversification; and expanding and intensifying global influence.
Why get involved?
Female genital mutilation is a violation of human rights and is never safe, with immediate health risks that can span a lifetime, including chronic pain, infections, increased risk of childbirth complications and psychological trauma.
Ending this harmful practice is an achievable Sustainable Development Goal to safeguard and protect the 68 million girls and women at risk. Your involvement can take many forms – from advocacy and policy making to providing financial support or implementing interventions on the ground. By participating in this global movement, you can contribute to ending female genital mutilation and creating a world where every girl and woman lives free from violence and discrimination.
Updated 4 February 2026
girls aged 0 to 14 years were protected from undergoing female genital mutilation
women and girls have initiated conversations on eliminating female genital mutilation
people made public declarations to abandon female genital mutilation
communities established surveillance systems to protect girls from undergoing female genital mutilation
individuals were reached by mass media messaging on female genital mutilation
grassroots organizations have been integrated into coalitions and networks working on the elimination of female genital mutilation
community and front-line workers from 241 implementing partners were engaged in interventions that aim to end female genital mutilation
girls and women received female genital mutilation–related prevention and protection services
health-service delivery points have at least one health worker trained to provide repair or prevent female gential mutilation
arrests were made as part of enforcing female genital mutilation legislation
