Climate Change and FGM: what are international organizations doing?

The link between climate change and FGM is increasingly gaining attention among international organizations. Institutions such as UNICEF, UNFPA, the World Bank, and other global actors recognize the profound impact climate change has on women and girls’ rights and well-being. Environmental crises exacerbate economic and social vulnerabilities, heightening the risk of harmful practices like FGM. This article explores the efforts of international organizations to address this intersection and develop climate-sensitive interventions to protect girls at risk.

UNFPA: Climate Change as a Setback to Eliminating FGM

In February 2022, the UNFPA highlighted how severe droughts in Kenya have disrupted efforts to eliminate FGM, emphasizing the need for prevention strategies that can adapt to climate-related challenges. Drought pushes families into deeper economic distress, leading them to use harmful practices like FGM and child marriage as coping mechanisms.

Kenya’s ongoing drought has affected 23 out of its 47 counties—14 of which are considered FGM hotspots, with prevalence rates reaching up to 97.5% (compared to the national average of 21%). In response, UNFPA has expanded support to partners such as I-Rep Foundation and World Vision Kenya to strengthen anti-FGM initiatives in these high-risk areas, ensuring that climate-sensitive strategies are integrated into broader protection efforts for girls.

UNICEF: Alarming Trends in the Horn of Africa

UNICEF has also raised concerns about the increasing impact of climate change on harmful practices like FGM. In 2022, a UNICEF press statement warned that the worst drought in 40 years was pushing families in the Horn of Africa to the brink, resulting in a sharp rise in child marriage and FGM.

In Ethiopia’s hardest-hit regions, child marriage rates more than doubled in just one year. Meanwhile, across Ethiopia, Kenya, and Somalia, the number of children at risk of dropping out of school tripled within three months, leaving adolescent girls even more vulnerable to harmful practices. UNICEF warns that the true scale of the crisis is likely far greater than reported due to a lack of specialized facilities for documenting cases. Limited data on FGM and child marriage further obscures the full impact of climate-related crises on girls.

Recognizing these trends, UNICEF and the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad)  hosted a technical meeting in June 2023: Responding to Female Genital Mutilation in the Face of Climate Change, organized by the Female Genital Mutilation Donor Working Group, to discuss how to address FGM in the context of climate change. During this meeting were highlighted four key recommendations for addressing the impacts of climate change on GBV and FGM in humanitarian settings.

• Policy: Influence climate change policies and access climate change funds to support GBV prevention and response.
• Investment: Increase investment in system strengthening and women’s organizations and groups.
• Risk Mitigation: Integrate GBV risk mitigation measures in climate change action and ensure girls’ education and adaptive livelihoods.
• Response: Ensure comprehensive and safe services for survivors affected by climate-related emergencies.

The UN Spotlight Initiative: Climate Change and Gender-Based Violence

The UN Spotlight Initiative, which aims to eliminate violence against women and girls, has examined how climate change exacerbates gender-based violence (GBV), including FGM. Their findings highlight key strategies to ensure a more equitable and sustainable future:

• Guarantee women’s access to and control over natural resources.
• Integrate women and girls into disaster recovery plans.
• Involve women and girls in environmental leadership and decision-making.

The World Bank: Addressing GBV as a Climate and Development Issue

The World Bank acknowledges that failing to address both climate change and gender-based violence can perpetuate cycles of harm, slow development progress, and weaken community resilience. To combat this, the institution is prioritizing:

• Supporting programs that empower women, reduce GBV, and build inclusive climate resilience.
• Integrating gender equity into climate and development reports.
• Investing in research, capacity-building, and policy influence to link climate action with gender justice.

Other Organizations Taking Action

Additional global organizations, such as Women Deliver and Social Development Direct, also recognise the impact of Climate Change on SRHR and GBV and have proposed key actions to address the consequences:

• Designing programs with women to enhance their climate resilience.
• Ensuring inclusive, gender-balanced participation in climate policy.
• Mainstreaming GBV risk mitigation in all humanitarian interventions.
• Increasing funding for women’s rights organizations, as they are first responders in crises but remain chronically underfunded.
• Investing in research on climate change, FGM, and GBV to close evidence gaps.
• Enhancing collaboration between the climate, health, and women’s rights sectors to adopt an intersectional approach.