UN chief says 68 million girls may face genital cuts by 2030

The UN Population Fund projects that the estimated 3.9 million girls subjected to genital cutting every year will rise to 4.6 million by 2030 due to expected population growth unless urgent action is taken.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is warning that without accelerated action 68 million girls could be subjected to female genital mutilation by 2030.

In this December 2015 photo provided by her, Zehra Patwa poses for a picture at her home in New Haven, Conn. Patwa learned a few years ago that at 7 years old, she was taken from her home in England to India for a wedding, and was circumcised in a procedure widely known as female genital mutilation. (AP File Photo)

He said in a statement on International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation that the practice is “a gross violation of the human rights of women and girls.”

His statement Tuesday says over 200 million women and girls in 30 countries across three continents have experienced genital mutilation.

The UN Population Fund projects that the estimated 3.9 million girls subjected to genital cutting every year will rise to 4.6 million by 2030 due to expected population growth unless urgent action is taken.

Agency Executive Director Natalia Kanem urged greater political will, community engagement and spending to reach the UN goal of ending the practice by 2030.