By Meher Jammi

According to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), more than 4.4 million girls are at risk of undergoing female genital mutilation or cutting this year (2025). FGM/C is a harmful practice that is rooted in gender inequality, shame, and silence. As teenagers, we often feel powerless when it comes to huge problems like this. I know I have at times, as a teenager myself. However, the truth is that change starts in communities, with conversations and small acts of courage. Here is what teenagers can do right now to contribute to the movement to end  FGM/C.

A Quick Lesson on What FGM/C Is

According to the World Health Organization, FGM/C refers to the procedures that involve the “partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons.” 

• FGM/C is usually carried out on girls between infancy and the age of 15.
• FGM/C offers no health benefits but instead can cause severe pain, bleeding, infections, complications in childbirth, and lasting trauma.
• This harmful practice is upheld by social norms and myths about purity, marriageability, and control over girls’ bodies.

Globally, more than 230 million women and girls have undergone FGM/C. No tradition should ever justify harming girls. Ending FGM/C is about putting the health, dignity, and rights of women and girls first. 

Why Teen Voices Matter

Teenagers are not just bystanders. FGM/C is often performed on girls our age and younger (anywhere from birth to adolescence), so teenage voices have a special weight and significance. Speaking up means standing up for girls our own age, girls who deserve the same safety and freedom we expect for ourselves. We have the tools to share accurate information and challenge these harmful social norms that penetrate the world today.

As the new generation, we are stepping up to be the future leaders, the ones who will shape policy, communities, and culture in the coming decades. Our words carry weight, and the conversations we start today can influence how entire communities think about the rights of women and girls. The simple question of ‘why do we keep this harmful tradition?’ can disrupt the silence that has persisted for generations regarding recognizing that FGM/C is gender-based violence. Our voices need to reach the girls who might otherwise stay quiet or accept it as inevitable.

What Teens Can Do

FGM/C often impacts girls our own age and younger, so it’s on us to stand united. Here are some concrete ways that teenagers can help.

Educate yourself:

Before speaking out, learn the facts. Read reliable resources from Sahiyo, WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF, and Equality Now to understand the health risk, human rights concerns, and how this harmful practice persists. Also, learn about survivors’ stories and how FGM/C impacted them personally. Knowledge and credibility are the first steps to making your voice impactful.

Learn about FGM/C:

• Female Genital Mutilation by the World Health Organization – gives an overview of basic facts of the issue
• Female Genital Mutilation by UNICEF – gives statistics by country and progress towards ending it, updates
• Female genital mutilation (FGM) frequently asked questions by UNFPA – gives clear explanations about FGM/C and international responses

Survivor Stories:

• Voices to End FGM/C, a digital storytelling project by Sahiyo and Silence Speaks that shares survivor stories

Educate others:

• Use class presentations, school clubs, religious groups, or awareness days to explain what FGM/C is and why it must end. 
• Use the talents you already have to reach others. Whether it’s through public speaking, art, graphic design, coding, writing, etc. 
• Consider inviting survivor advocates or experts to speak at your school or in your community.
• Repost the cause on your social media platforms. Posting on your story, sharing a post with a friend, or reposting a TikTok video can spark curiosity and lead others to want to learn more.
• Talk to your friends about the issue. Simple, honest conversations can be more powerful than any big campaign.
• Most importantly, be willing to speak up if someone tries to justify or minimize FGM/C. Challenge myths respectfully but firmly.
• Awareness breaks the silence and allows these harmful traditions to continue.

Fundraise for Nonprofits:

Organize bake sales, art auctions, sports tournaments, or online campaigns to raise money for non-profits such as Sahiyo or local survivor support centers. Even a little contribution can help an organization to provide survivor counseling, community education, outreach, and political activism.

Volunteer with Nonprofits:

Non-profits like Sahiyo and the Orchid Project welcome youth as volunteers for social media outreach, graphic design, writing blog posts, tech support for events, educational drives, or even just proofreading a paper. These contributions might seem small, but they add up to real change when young people across the world take action together.

Sign petitions and advocate:

Add your name to petitions that call for laws illegalizing FGM/C and generally protecting girls. Encourage your friends and family to do the same. Share petitions on social media to amplify the reach. 

You can also go a step further: write letters or emails to local officials about strengthening existing laws and funding survivor care, or join youth and teen advisory boards that influence community decisions.

When teens speak directly to leaders, it shows that the next generation cares and expects change.

By educating, fundraising, volunteering, and advocating, teens can drive awareness, challenge harmful norms, and channel resources where they’re needed the most.

Petitions You Can Sign Right Now:

• Petition · Ban Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Connecticut – United States · Change.org 
• Petition · Protect Girls from Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in Hawaii! Pass a state law!
• Petition · End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting by 2030: Invest in Research, and Support in Asia – United States · Change.org 

Be Part of the Change

The future of this movement depends on the next generation. By learning, speaking up, volunteering, and challenging harmful social norms, recognizing FGM/C is gender-based violence, we can help create a world where every girl’s body is their own. 

Resources

Want to Learn More?

Check out these trusted resources to get involved!

• YouthEndFGM – End FGM European Network has a youth ambassador program and educational toolkits
• Girls Not Brides explains how child marriage and FGM/C often overlap
• End FGM/C US Network posts webinars, advocacy tips, and survivor-centered storytelling