UNFPA-UNICEF joint programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation: Accelerating change

In 2007, a United Nations interagency statement called on governments, international and national organizations, civil society and communities to uphold the rights of girls and women, and end female genital mutilation. Today, a global movement has emerged. It recognizes that enabling girls and women to fulfil their potential in dignity and equality, and achieving the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) require the elimination of harmful practices, including female genital mutilation. As the largest global programme on this issue, the UNFPA–UNICEF (United Nations Population Fund and United Nations Children’s Fund) Joint Programme on the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation: Accelerating Change (the Joint Programme) targets the most vulnerable and marginalized girls and women, who face multiple and intersecting factors that increase their risk of undergoing the practice.