United Nations Human Rights Council adopts new resolution on the elimination of female genital mutilation/cutting at its 59th session
The United Nations Human Rights Council, at its fifty-ninth session (16 June–9 July 2025), under agenda item 3 on the promotion and protection of all human rights, adopted resolution A/HRC/59/L.22 which aims to accelerate efforts to eliminate female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).
The resolution reiterates that FGM/C as a harmful practice is a serious violation of the human rights of women and girls, deeply rooted in gender inequality and discriminatory social norms, and exacerbated by emerging trends such as the medicalisation and cross-border nature of FGM/C.
This year's resolution places a particular focus on the transformative potential of digital technologies as innovative tools to support the elimination of FGM/C, emphasising digital literacy, awareness-raising, participation of women and girls, and community mobilisation as key strategies. It also calls for strengthened financial commitments, notably urging States to help close the current estimated $2.1 billion global funding gap to end FGM.
As a coalition of activists, survivors, and civil society organisations all committed to ending FGM/C across the globe, we welcome this recommendation and the need to end FGM/C in an increasingly digitalised world. Existing tools, such as the End FGM E-Campus, which provides training for professionals on how to address FGM/C and support survivors, and the Papillon App developped by Lessan Germany and role game which helps better understand the lives of FGM/C survivors, demonstrate how new technologies can help prevent, support, and accelerate the movement to end FGM/C. Investment in similar and innovative initiatives is crucial to address FGM/C in a digitalised world.
We welcome the pragmatic approach adopted by the council, recognising the transformative power of digital tools and the need for gender-responsive actions, while also acknowledging the risks. However, the resolution fails to address the hostile global environment, both online and offline, that is impacting the anti-FGM/C movement. The growing anti-gender movement has multiple impacts, including increasing online hate speech, attacks on activists, and the deprioritisation of topics like FGM/C. Similarly, we regret the absence of an explicit reference to reproductive and sexual rights, which are fundamental to ensuring a comprehensive and rights-based approach to ending FGM/C and promoting bodily autonomy and integrity. Finally, we want to reiterate the importance of including everyone in the movement to end FGM/C. Intersectionality is critical: solutions need to address the many identities of FGM/C survivors and include all women and girls in their diversity to be truly effective. While we strongly welcome the particular attention put on people with disabilities and people on the move, we regret the absence of mentions of LBTQIA+ women and women in precarious situations such as humanitarian and climate change-induced crises.
Now more than ever, coordinated, rights-based, and digitally inclusive action is needed to end FGM/C for all women and girls in their diversity. We reiterate our willingness to support and cooperate with the UN, the Human Rights Council member states, and experts to achieve our common goals for a world free from FGM/C.
Credit: UN Photo/Jean Marc Ferré
