International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): Our Bodies, Our Rights!!

“Amina is a 13 year-old girl that dreams of becoming a nurse. She loved science. She makes sure to watch AMAZE videos on YouTube and always told her friends she wanted to “help girls feel safe in their bodies.” One afternoon, during a school health talk, she heard about Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) for the first time. As the nurse explained what it was and how it affects girls, Amina went quiet. She realized some of her best friends had gone through it in silence, in pain, and without a choice”

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a harmful practice that involves the partial or total removal of the female external genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.

This act causes serious physical and emotional pain, can lead to future complications during childbirth, and violates the basic human rights of girls and women. Most often, it is carried out on children who are legally incapable to give consent.

For young people, this day is about speaking up, learning the facts, and challenging harmful norms. Culture should never be an excuse for violence. Traditions can evolve, and communities can choose to protect their girls instead of hurting them.

Ending FGM requires courage from survivors who share their stories, from parents who choose a different path for their daughters, and from young people who raise their voices online and offline. Education, dialogue, and solidarity are key tools in this fight.

On this International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, let’s stand together and say,

#No to silence.

#No to harm.

#No to FGM.

#And Yes, to a future where every girl grows up safe, whole, and empowered.