About International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM
The International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM is a United Nations day against female genital mutilation, held every 6 February. In 2027 it falls on Saturday, 6 February 2027. It is marked by health bodies, governments and survivor groups, and in India mostly by Bohra women who campaign to end the cutting known as khafz.
What is the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM?
It is a United Nations day against female genital mutilation, held every year on 6 February. The General Assembly created it through resolution 67/146 in 2012, and in 2027 it falls on Saturday, 6 February 2027.
The World Health Organization defines FGM as the partial or total removal of the external female genitals, or any other injury to them, for reasons that are not medical. WHO states that the practice has no health benefit and that it harms girls and women: heavy bleeding and infection at the time, and later urinary trouble, painful periods, pain during sex and difficulty in childbirth. It is mostly done to girls between infancy and the age of 15.
WHO puts the number of girls and women alive today who have been cut at more than 230 million, across about 30 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia. The UN estimates about 4 million girls are at risk each year.
| WHO type | What it involves |
|---|---|
| Type 1 | Removing the clitoral glans and/or the fold of skin over it, the clitoral hood. |
| Type 2 | Removing the clitoral glans and the inner labia, with or without the outer labia. |
| Type 3 | Infibulation: narrowing the vaginal opening by cutting and repositioning tissue. |
| Type 4 | All other harmful procedures, including pricking, piercing and burning. |
Is FGM practised in India?
Yes, although the Government of India has said in court that it is not. Its stated position in 2018 was that female genital mutilation is not practised here. Survivors and researchers say otherwise.
The practice is documented mainly among the Dawoodi Bohras, a Shia Muslim community concentrated in Mumbai, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. Reports also point to other Bohra sects and to some Sunni families in Kerala. Inside the community the cutting is called khafz or khatna. It is usually done around the age of seven and involves cutting part of the clitoral hood, which falls under WHO's Type 1 or Type 4.
Almost all of what is known comes from two groups run by Bohra women who were cut as girls. Sahiyo, started in 2014 by five Bohra women and formally set up the following year, published a study in 2017 based on interviews with Bohra women. Religion was the reason most often given for the cutting, and the belief that it keeps a girl from wanting sex came second. WeSpeakOut, led by Masooma Ranalvi, campaigns for a law and for the community to stop on its own.
India has no statute written specifically against FGM. In January 2017 a Delhi lawyer, Sunita Tiwari, filed a public interest petition in the Supreme Court asking for a ban. On 24 September 2018 the court referred it to a larger bench to decide whether the cutting counts as an essential religious practice protected by the right to religion. It was later tagged with the Sabarimala review and sent to a nine-judge bench. The case is still pending.
How is the day marked in India?
There is no government programme for 6 February in India, no circular to offices and no school event. That silence follows from the official line that the practice does not happen here.
What does happen is survivor-led. Sahiyo and WeSpeakOut use the date to publish testimony, run online discussions and press for a clear law. A few doctors' groups and women's organisations join in. Internationally, UNFPA and UNICEF run a joint programme on FGM and set a fresh theme for the day each year, so the campaign wording changes annually while the demand does not.
What to write on the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM
Nothing celebratory, and nothing that puts a survivor on the spot. Most people who mark this day are writing to a team, a class or a community group, not to one person.
Do
- Say what FGM is in one clear sentence, and that WHO finds no health benefit in it.
- If you are Bohra and want to speak, speak within your own family and community, where it counts most.
- If someone tells you she was cut, thank her for trusting you and ask what she wants, not what happened.
- Name the groups doing the work, so people who need them can find them.
Avoid
- Do not write "Happy" anything, and do not use flowers, balloons or celebration emojis.
- Do not describe the cutting in graphic detail, especially in a group message.
- Do not treat it as something that only happens far away. It is documented in India.
- Do not out anyone. Being a survivor is hers to disclose, not yours.
6 February is the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM. The WHO is clear that the practice has no health benefit. Sharing this so more of us know it exists, including in India.
Today is the UN day against female genital mutilation. More than 230 million girls and women alive today have been cut. A petition to ban the practice in India has been pending in the Supreme Court since 2017.
If you have heard khafz spoken about as tradition, read what survivors from inside the community have written about it. Their groups are Sahiyo and WeSpeakOut.
Thinking of you today. You don't have to say anything about it to me, now or ever. I'm glad you trusted me, and I'm here.
On the day of zero tolerance for FGM, a reminder that doing the cutting in a clinic does not make it safe. Thank you for the conversations you have with families.
Days that sit close to this one: International Day of the Girl Child, International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Human Rights Day.
How to wish someone on International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM
This is not a day for wishes. Nothing about it is happy, and "Happy Zero Tolerance Day" reads as a mistake. If you write anything, write to inform or to support: a short line to a team, a class or a community group about what FGM is and that it has no health benefit, or a private note to a survivor that follows her lead and does not ask for details.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi + recipient language.
When is International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM in 2026 and 2027?
International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM is on 6 Feb every year. Only the weekday changes.
- 2026
- 2027
Frequently asked questions
When is International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM in 2027?
International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM 2027 falls on Saturday, 6 February 2027.
Is FGM illegal in India?
India has no law written specifically against female genital mutilation. A petition asking the Supreme Court to ban it, filed by the lawyer Sunita Tiwari in January 2017, was referred to a larger bench in September 2018 and is still pending. Campaigners argue that existing child protection and assault laws already cover it.
What is khafz or khatna?
Khafz, also called khatna, is the term the Dawoodi Bohra community uses for cutting part of a girl's clitoral hood, usually at about the age of seven. The World Health Organization classifies this as female genital mutilation, Type 1 or Type 4.
Why is 6 February the day against FGM?
The United Nations General Assembly set 6 February as the International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation through resolution 67/146 in 2012, to focus attention and funding on ending the practice.
Is female genital cutting the same as male circumcision?
No. The World Health Organization says female genital mutilation has no health benefit and causes lasting harm, including heavy bleeding, infection, painful sex and complications in childbirth. The two differ in what is removed and in what follows, and WHO treats FGM as a violation of the rights of girls and women.
Should I send a card or a wish on this day?
No. This is an awareness day about harm done to children, so a greeting is out of place. If you want to mark it, share one clear fact about what FGM is, or support a survivor-led group such as Sahiyo or WeSpeakOut.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .