A $15.5m philanthropic fund has been launched to support frontline activists working to end female genital mutilation worldwide. The Her Horizon Fund, established by the US-based Wallace Global Fund, aims to raise $100m to help reach a tipping point toward ending the practice within a generation.
The launch comes as donor funding for anti-FGM work declines and legal protections face challenges, putting progress toward the United Nations’ 2030 elimination goal off track.
Why frontline groups say the money matters
Ifrah Ahmed, a Somali-Irish activist and FGM survivor who founded the Ifrah Foundation, said the fund would help activists continue their work. Her organisation had its $300,000 in United Nations funding cut by UNFPA last year, although it secured money from other sources.
The Ifrah Foundation has helped press for anti-FGM legislation in Somalia, where the practice is nearly universal. Three of the country’s seven federal member states have enacted bans, while bills in two other states have been endorsed by cabinet and are awaiting parliamentary approval. Religious leaders oppose the measures in some areas.
Progress remains uneven
FGM is the partial or total removal of female genitalia for non-medical reasons. It can cause severe pain, excessive bleeding and infection, as well as complications during childbirth, chronic pain and lasting psychological trauma.
Advocates point to fragile legal gains. The Gambia’s supreme court is considering a constitutional challenge to its 2015 ban after lawmakers rejected an effort to repeal it in 2024. In Sierra Leone, the new Child Rights Act does not prohibit FGM despite campaigning by rights groups.
The practice has affected more than 144 million women and girls in Africa, 80 million in Asia and 6 million in the Middle East. A 2025 study estimated that it contributes to about 44,000 deaths each year across 15 countries examined.
A survivor-led approach
Susan Gibbs, a senior adviser on women’s rights and FGM at the Wallace Global Fund, said direct funding could help frontline organisations sustain and expand their work. She described the situation as mixed: United Nations data shows prevalence declines in several countries, while political crises and opposition to rights have threatened progress. Read the context: Report Highlights Severe Effects of US Funding Reductions on Global HIV Programs.
The fund was officially launched at a Justice for Girls global gathering in Kenya earlier this month. Gibbs said lasting change should be led by survivors and local activists, who understand their communities and what action is needed. Related coverage: Understanding Passport Power and Its Impact on Global Mobility.
What happens next
The Her Horizon Fund will seek to pool $100m from donors to support efforts to end FGM within a generation.
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