Towards justice: Global challenges and opportunities in litigating cases of female genital mutilation

Equality Now’s analysis shows that strategic litigation can play a powerful role in ending FGM when embedded within survivor-centred, multi-sectoral strategies. However, survivors of FGM across the globe continue to face severe barriers to access justice. Key recommendations to address these barriers include:

• Adopt comprehensive and explicit laws prohibiting FGM, covering all forms of the practice, including medicalisation and cross-border FGM.
• Ensure survivors are protected, and never criminalised, including prohibiting the prosecution of survivors and safeguarding them from forced medical examinations, retaliation and discrimination.
• Address procedural and evidentiary barriers, including through survivor-centred investigation protocols, standard operating procedures and sentencing guidelines.
• Strengthen access to remedies, including civil compensation, protection orders, free legal aid, and the ability for NGOs to represent survivors, particularly children.
• Improve implementation and accountability, including enforcement of court decisions, consistent sentencing, and oversight of law enforcement and prosecutorial practices.
• Embed litigation within broader strategies, combining legal action with community engagement, survivor support and sustained advocacy to prevent backlash and ensure lasting impact.
• Provide sustained and flexible funding to support long-running strategic litigation, survivor protection and post-judgment implementation.