February 6 marks the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, or FGM. In 2024, some 4.4 million girls are still considered at risk from this horrific act of gender-based violence.

“Even one mutilation is one too many” said UN chief António Guterres in his message marking the day. 

According to Dr. Wisal Ahmed, the UN reproductive health agency’s (UNFPA) Global Coordinator for the FGM Trust Fund, health complications due to the practice add up to around $1.4 billion each year. 

She told UN News’s Pauline Batista that engaging in “dialogue, having a conversation” is fundamental to ending FGM.