Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask His Majesty's Government what progress is being made toward the 2030 target to eliminate female genital mutilation.

Progress has been made towards the elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and a girl is a third less likely to undergo FGM today compared to 30 years ago. Since 2013, UK programmes have helped over 10,000 communities, representing over 27 million people, pledge to abandon FGM.

However, population growth in high prevalence countries means that despite this progress, the number of girls at risk is growing. There are 230 million women and girls alive today who have undergone Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and 4.2 million girls are at risk of undergoing FGM every year. We must work 27 times faster to eliminate FGM by 2030.

Our main investments to end FGM are as follows: The UK is investing up to £35.5 million in the Africa-Led Movement to End FGM programme which operates in Kenya, Senegal, Somalia, and Ethiopia. We contribute towards the UNICEF/UNFPA Joint Programme for the Elimination of FGM which operates in 18 countries. The UK is also investing up to £20 million towards the Sudan Free of FGM: Phase II programme.

Overall, in 2024-25, the UK spent at least £13.1 million on ending FGM. The UK's spend on FGM in 2025-26 is yet to be finalised.