Sweden contributes $18 million to end female genital mutilation with UNFPA and UNICEF

UNITED NATIONS, New York — The Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (SIDA) is contributing $18 million to the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation, the world’s largest programme to accelerate the abandonment of this harmful practice.

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a harrowing form of gender-based violence that endangers the lives of millions of girls and women each year. Between now and 2030, an estimated 68 million girls are at risk of being subjected to female genital mutilation unless concerted and accelerated action is taken. As UNFPA Executive Director Dr. Natalia Kanem said on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, this is a practice “rooted in gender inequality and power imbalances, an act of gender-based violence that harms girls' bodies, dims their futures, and endangers their lives.”

The additional $18 million dollars from SIDA will help prevent thousands of women and girls from undergoing female genital mutilation. The funds will enable the joint programme to pursue its Phase IV, focused on creating a world where every girl and woman has a voice, choice and agency. By 2030, the programme aims to eliminate FGM through accelerated and collective efforts that mobilize actors at the regional, national and international levels.

Sweden has a strong track record of advocacy to eliminate female genital mutilation. In 2018, the Government of Sweden adopted a national action plan to combat female genital mutilation. Over the past eight years, Sweden has provided more than $47 million to end the practice. As the largest donor to the joint programme, Sweden’s commitment has been instrumental in providing 5.9 million girls and women with  access to comprehensive prevention and response services, and in galvanizing 46 million community members to publicly denounce the practice. The joint programme also enabled the participation of more than 50 million people in education and social mobilization activities promoting the elimination of female genital mutilation.

“The pandemic has made this important work difficult and with each passing day more and more girls are at risk of life-threatening injuries, which is why we need to step up our efforts to put an end to this,” said Elisabeth Hårleman, Head of Development Cooperation for Strategy for sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) in Africa.

This year’s International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, while keeping the focus on the empowerment – and protection – of women and girls, is recalling the importance of rallying men and boys in the fight against female genital mutilation. UNFPA and UNICEF are calling on the global community to partner with men and boys and foster their engagement to accelerate the elimination of the harmful practice, and uplift the voices of women and girls.

Men and boys can be agents of positive change in shifting unequal power relations, promoting positive masculinities and changing attitudes and behaviors. Like Babani Sidi Mohamad, who after seeing the pain and trauma caused by the practice, launched an organization to raise awareness in spaces such as mosques and at neighbouring village gatherings.

Sweden is committed to supporting the inclusion of men and boys in achieving gender equality, as emphasized in Sweden’s development cooperation. “We need to work with prevailing unequal gender and social norms and ultimately the power relations between men and women,” said Elisabeth Hårleman in a video statement released on the international day.

A strong supporter of sexual and reproductive health and rights, maternal health and protection from gender-based violence around the world, Sweden has been a strong financial and political partner of UNFPA – its support will be essential to reach the global target of eliminating the practice by 2030. Sweden is one of UNFPA’s long-time core funding supporter and has signed a multi-year agreement with UNFPA to fund its core resources which enable UNFPA to plan long-term and respond swiftly and flexibly to emergencies.