UNFPA, The Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development with support from UNICEF, and other partners have today commemorated the International Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) Zero tolerance day in Bukwo district under the theme “Towards 2030: No End to FGM without Sustained Commitment and Investment.”
The commemoration brought together a broad range of stakeholders, including Government representatives, UN Agencies, Non-Governmental organizations, youth and women’s groups, FGM survivors, international agencies, and development partners, to strengthen collective action toward eliminating FGM in Uganda.
Although the Government of Uganda banned FGM in 2010, the practice continues quietly in some parts of Eastern and North Eastern Uganda, particularly among the Sabiny, Pokot, and Tepeth communities, driven by deeply entrenched cultural norms upheld by elders, often carried out in secrecy and across borders to evade detection by authorities.
The Guest of Honour at the commemoration event, the Minister of State for Gender and Culture, Hon. Mutuuzo Regis Peace said, “FGM prevalence has significantly declined in Uganda over the past decade, from 4.2% in 2016 to 0.02% in 2026 marking strong progress in the fight to #EndFGM.” She attributed this progress to Government interventions, sustained community engagement, strong partner support, and the implementation of cross-border frameworks to combat the vice. Hon Mutuuzo also welcomed the introduction of Alternative Rites of Passage led by cultural leaders as a positive step forward.
Hon. Mutuuzo cautioned against stigma faced by girls and women who have not undergone FGM, noting that such discrimination contributed to the unexpected resurgence of the practice in 2018.
Hon. Mutuuzo further pledged that secondary school and avocational skills training center will be established in the region to empower young girls as an alternative to child marriage. She also emphasized the need for programs that support men in adapting to a changing society with educated and empowered women. Additionally, she highlighted the need to strengthen and reform cross-border efforts to more effectively address FGM practices.
The commemoration event was also held in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality, calling for coordinated efforts through Government support, strong systems, adequate financing, community action, data-driven approaches, and platforms that amplify the voices of girls and survivors. By strengthening partnerships, scaling up effective interventions, and reinforcing a coordinated movement, progress can be sustained and accelerated towards the elimination of FGM in Uganda and globally.
Since November 2025, UNICEF Uganda through its U-Report, has conducted community engagement activities across the Sebei and Karamoja sub-regions to help curb FGM and child marriages. Focusing mainly on Amudat, Bukwo, Kapchorwa, Kween, Nakapiripirit, and Moroto districts, these efforts continue to raise awareness, strengthen community dialogue, and promote collective action to address the harmful effects of such practices, reaching over 30,000 community members to date.
U-Report is UNICEF’s flagship youth platform for young people by young people (aged 14 to 24 years). It offers free digital tools and a dynamic community space where young Ugandans can share their views, express their opinions, propose solutions and drive positive change within their communities. By utilizing real-time insights and engagement, U-Reporters help shape policies at the local level. A U-Report Community is a voluntary, youth-led movement built on the vision that every young person can be a powerful agent of change in their community.
Febian Yeko, a 27-year-old U-Reporter from the Sebei community, highlighted her recent five-month community engagement, which began in November 2025 in Kaptum Sub-county, Kween District. She explained that they typically work in teams of about 25 U-Reporters, mainly youth – visiting homes, churches/mosques, schools, markets, drinking joints, Savings groups, and also holding dialogue meetings with FGM mentor fathers and mothers to sensitize them about the dangers of FGM and child marriage.
“We first group community members and tailor information to specific audiences,” said Yeko. “We then encourage parents to keep or return their children to school, or support them in starting small businesses to keep them engaged as a safeguard against FGM and child marriage.”
Vicky Chebet, another U-Reporter involved in the community engagement program, said that visits to communities take place at least three times a week, with efforts intensified in 2026, being a circumcision year. During such visits to the community, they not only share information but also listen to survivors’ stories, understand the challenges faced, and promote behaviour change through drama, posters, and fliers.
“We also work with religious leaders, Local Council leaders, Village Health Teams (VHTs), and Savings group leaders to help spread the messages to wider audiences during their gatherings,” Chebet explained. “We have also adopted a strategy where those we train are encouraged to form ‘safety circles’ of 5–10 people per village which helps extend information sharing and enables quick reporting whenever new cases arise.”
These U-Report Communities of Action are creating safe spaces for communities to discuss the health risks, social consequences, and human rights implications of FGM and child marriages. They also encourage girls to stay in school, support community members to report harmful practices, protect survivors, and strengthen collective responsibility within communities.
