With just 58 months left to meet the 2030 deadline, global commitments to end female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and guarantee menstrual health for all are drifting off course. Although governments pledged under the Sustainable Development Goals to eliminate FGM/C and uphold dignity in menstrual health, the number of women and girls affected by FGM/C has risen from 200 million in 2016 to more than 230 million in 2024. The practice spans at least 94 countries, including 13 in South and Southeast Asia, underscoring that it is neither isolated nor declining fast enough.
Speakers at the SHE & Rights session ahead of CSW70 framed FGM/C not as a cultural anomaly but as part of a broader system that controls girls’ and women’s bodies. Survivors and advocates stressed that community-led approaches are essential, yet warned of troubling trends such as the “medicalisation” of FGM/C, which risks legitimising a practice condemned by WHO and global medical bodies. Legal reforms exist in many countries, but prosecutions remain rare and enforcement weak. Strategic litigation and mechanisms such as the Universal Periodic Review are emerging as tools to close accountability gaps.
At the same time, menstrual health is gaining legal recognition, notably through a landmark Indian Supreme Court ruling affirming it as a fundamental right. Yet the judgment also exposes systemic failures: millions of girls drop out of school, lack access to toilets, products, and privacy, and face stigma that limits education and opportunity. Without sustained funding, monitoring, and political will, even progressive rulings risk remaining symbolic.
Community-based health initiatives, such as breast cancer screening projects in rural India, demonstrate that change is possible when local actors are empowered and supported. The broader lesson is clear: rights-based commitments require implementation, data, and accountability. With less than five years to 2030, governments face a narrowing window to turn promises on gender equality and health into measurable progress.
