FIDA Nigeria’s Statement on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) 2026

Towards 2030: No End to FGM without Sustained Commitment and Investment

“Every girl subjected to Female Genital Mutilation is silenced, violated, and robbed of her childhood. Yet, the law remains on paper, and tradition continues to shield those who harm. Many girls grow up, become mothers, and even unknowingly perpetuate this harm on the next generation. As 2030 approaches, the question is not whether FGM can end it is whether we, as a society, have the courage to act. Change must start with us. Girls cannot wait. Justice cannot wait. Commitment must no longer be words; it must be action.”

Nigeria has made notable progress through the enactment of laws prohibiting FGM, including the Violence Against Persons (Prohibition) Act (VAPP Act) 2015 at the federal level, alongside state-specific anti-FGM laws in Lagos, Ogun, Ekiti, and several other states. Relevant policies aimed at prevention, protection, and response are in place, and sensitization and advocacy efforts have grown stronger over the years.

Yet, FGM persists often hidden, normalized, and largely unpunished. It is within this troubling gap between law and practice that society continues to fail girls, who suffer in silence despite the existence of protective frameworks.
The Pain Behind the Promise of Protection
Behind every law, every policy, and every statistic is a girl whose childhood was interrupted—and whose voice was ignored.

In a small community in Osun State, Morounkeji was eight years old when she was woken before dawn and told to follow her aunt. She trusted the adults around her. She did not understand why everyone kept saying, “Be strong.” After that day, she stopped laughing the way she used to. She avoided questions. When she cried at night, she was told not to speak of it “It has been done.” The law existed. Protection existed on paper. But no one came for Morounkeji. Silence became her shield, and her prison.

In Imo State, Chiamaka is now a young woman, but parts of her are still stuck in that moment she was never allowed to question. “They said it was for my good,” she says quietly, “so I learned to believe my pain did not matter.” She grew up knowing something was taken from her without her consent, without explanation, without justice. Even today, she speaks carefully, because survivors are often taught that remembering is dangerous and speaking is disobedience.

These are not isolated stories. They are repeated across communities where FGM is hidden behind tradition and protected by fear. They are reminders that when enforcement is weak, the law abandons the very girls it was meant to protect. Every unpunished act of FGM is a betrayal of trust. Every survivor forced into silence is evidence of justice delayed—and denied.

FGM continues because silence protects perpetrators and weak enforcement weakens the law. Every unpunished act represents a failure of justice. Every untold story of suffering is evidence that society has not yet done enough.
FGM is a crime. It is not culture. It is not tradition. It is harm. Human rights are non-negotiable, and no custom can justify violence against girls.

Every girl deserves protection.
Every survivor deserves justice.
Every community must stand firmly against this abuse.
On this International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM, FIDA Nigeria declares: we will not remain silent. We will not allow tradition to shield abuse, nor silence to protect perpetrators. We reject complacency and empty promises. We choose action.

Ending FGM is not a distant hope it is a legal, moral, and societal obligation demanding relentless effort, strategic investment, and unwavering courage.
To achieve zero FGM by 2030, FIDA Nigeria calls for sustained investment in the following areas:
• Target gatekeepers and enforcers of harmful practices: Traditional and community influencers must be actively engaged and held accountable to abandon and denounce FGM.
• Invest in prevention: Strengthen community-led education and awareness programmes that challenge harmful norms, engage traditional and religious leaders, and reach families before harm occurs.
• Invest in girls: Equip girls with information, amplify their voices, protect their bodily autonomy, and safeguard their right to make informed decisions about their health and futures.
• Invest in survivors: Provide comprehensive medical, psychosocial, and legal support. Survival must never mean enduring pain in silence.
• Invest in the law: Ensure full enforcement of existing legislation, prosecution of offenders, and access to justice for survivors.

Zero tolerance must become reality, not rhetoric action starts now.
FIDA Nigeria remains steadfast in using the law, advocacy, and strategic partnerships to protect every girl and woman from FGM until zero tolerance truly means zero cases.
#Invest2EndFGM | #EndFGM

Signed
FIDA Nigeria