Italy’s commitment to ending female genital mutilation and supporting UNFPA’s core resources

New York, UNITED NATIONS – The Government of Italy has contributed €2.5 million to UNFPA's core resources and €4 million to the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the Elimination Female Genital Mutilation, reinforcing its support of the reproductive health and rights of women and girls around the world.

Every year, an estimated 2 million girls are subjected to female genital mutilation before they reach the age of 5. Globally, about 230 million girls and women have undergone this practice. In 2024 alone, nearly 4.4 million girls—more than 12,000 each day—are at risk of female genital mutilation. 

Despite the limited resources, the Joint Programme has made significant strides in recent years. In 2023 alone, the programme protected over 162,000 young girls from female genital mutilation through community-level monitoring systems, and nearly 1 million women and girls received prevention and protection services. Additionally, around 1.3 million people made public declarations to abandon the practice. 

In 2024, Italy doubled its support to the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme to €4 million. This contribution comes at a critical time, as progress toward eliminating female genital mutilation faces heightened pushback, and hard-won gains are in danger of being lost. 

During a recent visit to Djibouti, the impact of these contributions was seen firsthand through the eyes of Khadija, who shared her story after learning about the harm of female genital mutilation from the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme. 

“It was the first time I heard about the harms of the practice,” Khadija recalls. "I let my daughter go through it. But once I knew about the consequences of this practice, I vowed to protect my granddaughter." Khadija now travels miles by foot to urge others to abandon the practice.

With Italy’s support, more women like Khadija can be trained about the consequences of female genital mutilation, so they can in turn advocate for its end at the community level. 

With only five years remaining until the 2030 deadline to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals, greater efforts and investment are urgently needed to accelerate progress in ending female genital mutilation and all forms of violence against women and girls.

It is estimated that $2.75 billion is needed to eliminate female genital mutilation by 2030. The international community must remain steadfast in its commitment to ensuring that all girls and women can live free from violence, including this harmful practice. 

Italy has also contributed €2.5 million to UNFPA’s regular resources in 2024. These flexible core resources are vital for UNFPA’s ability to respond swiftly to emerging crises and deliver long-term results for women and girls around the world. Italy’s funding helps ensure that UNFPA can continue its essential work in areas like maternal health, family planning and preventing gender-based violence. Italy, one of the top 20 core resources donors to UNFPA in 2024, is holding the G7 presidency this year, a role in which it reinforces its commitment to global health and gender equality.