New $15.5 million fund launches global drive against female genital mutilation

Private funding targets a widening resource gap

A new $15.5 million fund has been launched to support organisations working to end female genital mutilation, with an eventual fundraising goal of $100 million. The Her Horizon Fund began with $14 million from the US-based Wallace Global Fund and another $1.5 million from an anonymous donor. Organisers intend to direct resources toward survivors, campaigners and community groups that are often closest to the practice but have limited access to large international grants.

The launch comes during a pronounced contraction in established funding. The Guardian reported that contributions to the joint UNFPA-Unicef programme operating across 18 countries fell 45% last year, from $29.6 million to $16.3 million. That reduction threatens prevention, survivor care, education and legislative advocacy at a time when campaigners are also confronting efforts to weaken existing legal protections in several countries.

Progress remains fragile and uneven

Somalia illustrates both the need and the political difficulty. Three of its seven federal member states have enacted anti-FGM laws, while cabinets in two others have endorsed bills that still require parliamentary approval. Religious opposition remains influential in parts of the country. In the Gambia, the supreme court is considering a constitutional challenge to the 2015 prohibition after lawmakers rejected an earlier attempt to repeal it.

The United Nations classifies FGM as a violation of the rights, health and physical integrity of girls and women. Its 2026 campaign says more than 230 million living women and girls have undergone the practice and warns that roughly 23 million more remain at risk before 2030. The UN's elimination target therefore requires both faster social change and sustained investment in healthcare, schooling, legal enforcement and locally trusted advocacy.

The fund's significance will depend on allocation, not merely its announced size. Important indicators include how much money reaches frontline organisations directly, which countries receive support, whether grants cover long-term institutional costs, and whether Her Horizon attracts enough additional donors to approach its $100 million objective. Publication of grant criteria and measurable outcomes will also be necessary to determine whether the initiative compensates for shrinking multilateral budgets or simply creates a temporary parallel source of funding.