Child Marriage and FGM/C: The Call for Women’s Leadership in a Changing World

Around the world, women and girls are leading efforts to eliminate harmful practices like child marriage and female genital mutilation/cutting, creating pathways to equality and justice. These practices deny them education, safety, and autonomy, perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality. As the world faces mounting challenges, it is clear that progress requires bold, transformative leadership rooted in the perspectives and resilience of women. Women’s leadership is not just important, it is essential to sustaining progress and driving systemic change.

Wins and Challenges: A Year in Review

This year, the fight against harmful practices brought both victories and stark reminders of the work ahead. In Colombia, the government outlawed child marriage without exceptions, closing a dangerous loophole and setting a precedent for the region. Similarly, in The Gambia, activists successfully defended against an attempt to repeal its anti-FGM laws, safeguarding protections that had been hard-won over years of relentless advocacy.

In contrast, Iraq faces a proposed law that would allow girls as young as nine to marry, an alarming step backward that threatens to legitimize harmful practices under the guise of cultural and religious acceptance. These contrasting realities highlight a fragile, unbalanced global landscape. Progress in one part of the world is undermined by regression elsewhere. Anti-rights movements, like the one seen in The Gambia, reveal a growing threat to hard-won gains, making it clear that the fight for gender justice is far from over.

The Changing Landscape of Harmful Practices

Harmful practices like child marriage and FGM/C are not static; they evolve in response to societal, economic, and environmental pressures. Climate change, for instance, exacerbates vulnerabilities, with droughts and resource scarcity increasing the risk of child marriage as families struggle to survive. Conflict and instability in regions like Sudan and Ethiopia further expose girls to exploitation and early marriage as families navigate displacement and chaos.

At the same time, advocacy narratives are shifting. Activists and groups are calling for a balance between cultural recognition and rights-based approaches that center the agency and empowerment of adolescents and women. This nuanced approach, however, is complicated by a global anti-rights backlash that threatens to reverse progress in some regions. To make lasting progress, strategies must reflect these evolving realities while addressing the systemic inequalities that enable harmful practices.

Vision for the Future: Turning Commitment into Action

To end harmful practices, the global community must rally behind a vision that emphasizes legal reforms, global accountability to meet SDG Target 5.3, and community-led approaches for sustainable change. Above all, sustainable funding and women’s leadership must take center stage. Funding is essential to power grassroots advocacy, survivor services, and awareness campaigns, while women’s leadership ensures solutions are shaped by those most affected, from local councils to global summits. Together, these pillars will drive lasting, transformative impact for women and girls worldwide.

Call to Action: The Time to Act is Now

The movement against harmful practices is not just a women’s issue, it is a societal one. These practices perpetuate poverty, limit development, and undermine entire communities. To stop them, we must prioritize funding, strengthen laws, and amplify the voices of grassroots leaders. The stakes are high, and complacency is not an option.

As we await critical developments, such as the proposed Iraq bill, the urgency of our mission is undeniable. Let Colombia and The Gambia’s victories inspire us, and let Iraq’s challenge remind us of the work left to do.

Ending child marriage and FGM/C is a fight for justice, equality, and the future of millions of girls. It is a fight that requires women’s leadership, bold, inclusive, and unwavering. With five years to the SDG deadline, we cannot afford to wait. We must ensure that every girl has the opportunity to determine her own future, free from the shadow of harmful practices. This is not just a vision, it is a commitment we must honor.