THE United States Secretary of State Antony J Blinken has said there are more than 200 million survivors of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the world.
He spoke to mark the Observance of the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation today.
Blinken, in a statement, said the United States stands with these survivors.
He said the practice also goes on in the U.S.
“We stand resolutely against the practice of FGM/C as a form of gender-based violence and a human rights abuse that threatens the lives and futures of girls and young women in nearly 30 countries around the world, including the United States. Women and girls in all their diversity deserve to live free from gender-based violence and to make their own choices about their bodies, lives, and futures ” Blinken said.
According to him, accelerated action was needed by countries with high levels of FGM/C to reach the Sustainable Development Goal global target of elimination by 2030.
“The United States is proud to continue supporting global programs to end this abuse, including a $5 million annual contribution to the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation.
“In line with the 2022 update to the U.S. Strategy to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence Globally, we will continue to work towards eliminating FGM/C wherever it occurs, in partnership with survivors, locally led women’s organizations, and youth-led groups and networks,” he said.
