A $15.5m fund has been launched to accelerate efforts to end female genital mutilation, which affects over 230 million women and girls worldwide.
The Her Horizon Fund aims to pool $100m from donors to create momentum toward ending the practice within a generation. The fund has been seeded with $14m from the Wallace Global Fund and an additional $1.5m from an anonymous donor. The initiative comes amid declining donor funding for FGM-related work, particularly for projects led by survivors in local communities.
The United Nations has set a goal of eliminating FGM by 2030, but progress is not on track. Funding for the largest FGM-ending initiative, a joint UNFPA and Unicef programme, fell by 45% last year. Advocates warn that while some countries have criminalised FGM, progress remains fragile due to political and religious opposition in some regions.
Why it matters
The new funding arrives as donor support for FGM survivor-led initiatives is declining sharply.
This section reflects Dumpling editorial interpretation and is provided for context only.
What to watch
Watch for responses from FGM survivor-led groups to the new funding and its alignment with their priorities.
This section reflects Dumpling editorial interpretation and is provided for context only.