New $15.5m Fund Launched to Accelerate Global Fight Against FGM
The Wallace Global Fund has seeded a fresh $15.5 million initiative aimed at ending female genital mutilation (FGM) worldwide. The newly‑established Her Horizon Fund combines $14 million from the US‑based Wallace Global Fund with an additional $1.5 million contributed by an anonymous donor. Its ambition is to mobilise a total of $100 million from other philanthropists, hoping to reach a “tipping point” that could see the practice eradicated within a single generation. The fund’s launch coincides with a period of heightened vulnerability for women’s rights, as donor support wanes and legal protections are increasingly contested across several continents.
Fragile Gains in West Africa and Beyond
While the global prevalence of FGM is declining in several nations, progress remains uneven and fragile. In the Gambia, a 2024 parliamentary attempt to repeal the 2015 ban on the procedure was rejected after intense lobbying from women’s rights groups. Nevertheless, the country’s supreme court is now weighing a constitutional challenge to that ban, a development that could either reinforce or undermine existing protections. In Sierra Leone, despite years of campaigning, the newly enacted Child Rights Act does not explicitly prohibit FGM, leaving a legal loophole that activists continue to contest. Across the region, survivors and frontline organisations report that gains made over decades are being threatened by resurgent cultural pressures and reduced funding.
Survivor‑Led Initiatives and Legal Battles
Ifrah Ahmed, a Somali‑Irish survivor and founder of the Ifrah Foundation, emphasises the critical role of locally driven work. “By giving $14 million, the global fund will ensure activists can continue their work in this area,” she said, reflecting both gratitude and urgency. Her organisation, which has helped push anti‑FGM legislation in Somalia, faced a $300 000 cut from UNFPA last year but managed to secure alternative resources. Three of Somalia’s seven federal member states have now enacted anti‑FGM laws, while two others have cabinet‑endorsed bills awaiting parliamentary approval—though religious opposition in some districts continues to pose a hurdle. Ahmed warns that without sustained financing, “the dream where this practice will end will have died for young girls.”
In Kenya, a recent Justice for Girls gathering drew together activists from across the continent, creating what senior adviser Susan Gibbs described as “incredible” momentum. Gibbs, who leads women’s rights and FGM programming at the Wallace Global Fund, highlighted that “frontline survivors, activists, they know their communities and they know what it will take. They must have the resources and power to lead.” She expressed confidence that the new fund could act as a catalyst, noting that “most frontline organisations have been absolutely starved for resources, and so more direct funding would allow them to sustain and scale [up] their work.”
Funding Crisis and the Road to 2030
The need for robust financing is underscored by stark statistics. More than 230 million women and girls globally have undergone FGM, with 144 million in Africa, 80 million in Asia and six million in the Middle East. The practice inflicts immediate health crises—severe pain, excessive bleeding, infection—and long‑term complications, including childbirth difficulties, chronic pain and psychological trauma. A 2025 study estimated that FGM accounts for roughly 44 000 deaths each year across 15 examined countries, positioning it as a leading cause of mortality for women and girls in those regions.
International targets have set an ambitious deadline: the United Nations aims for elimination by 2030. Yet the funding trajectory tells a different story. The largest coordinated effort—the joint programme run by UNFPA and UNICEF across 18 countries—saw its budget shrink by 45 % last year, falling from $29.6 million to $16.3 million. This decline mirrors a broader trend of donor fatigue, with many philanthropists redirecting resources away from gender‑based violence programmes. The new Her Horizon Fund is therefore positioned as the largest single philanthropic contribution dedicated to ending FGM, intended to counteract this downward spiral.
Advocates caution that while legal recognition of FGM as a human‑rights violation has expanded, enforcement remains patchy. Countries such as Burkina Faso, the Gambia and Kenya have criminalised the practice, yet enforcement challenges and cultural resistance persist. Moreover, the rise of anti‑rights movements in several nations has created political headwinds, complicating efforts to maintain or expand protective legislation.
Why it Matters
The $15.5 million Her Horizon Fund represents more than a financial injection; it signals a renewed global commitment to protecting the bodily integrity and health of millions of women and girls. By channeling resources directly to survivor‑led organisations, the fund empowers those with lived experience to shape strategies that are culturally resonant and medically sound. This approach not only addresses the immediate need for services—medical care, psychological support and legal aid—but also invests in long‑term systemic change, from community education to policy advocacy. In a climate where funding is shrinking and backlash is mounting, such targeted investment could be the catalyst required to keep the 2030 elimination goal within reach, ultimately saving countless lives and safeguarding the future of generations yet to come.