The practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) has been around for at least 2000 years and was believed to ensure women’s virginity and reduce female desire. Although the practice is dangerous and unnecessary, the fight to end FGM is difficult because it is still engrained in some cultures and based on religious beliefs or ideas of beauty and purity.
The goal to eliminate FGM by 2030, set by the UN, has hit a roadblock because of cuts in funding and legal challenges. Her Horizon Fund, set up the US-based Wallace Global Fund, has stepped in to help with the fight. The fund has been seeded with $14m from the Wallace Global Fund, plus an additional $1.5m contribution from an anonymous donor, making $15.5m in total. The aim is to pool $100m from donors to reach a “tipping point” towards ending FGM within a generation.
