International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is a United Nations-sponsored annual awareness day that takes place on February 6 as part of the UN’s efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation that was first introduced in 2003.

The cultural practice is most closely linked to thirty predominantly African countries, but UNICEF reports provide evidence of its prevalence in about fifty countries including in Asia, the Middle East, Latin America and Eastern Europe.

Though the practice of FGM will take centuries to eradicate despite world leaders promising to end the practice by 2030. The procedure involves the partial or total removal of the external genitalia, and sometimes sewing up the female intimate parts.

Here are some noteworthy anti FGM activists leading the fight against the practice and towards its eradication.

HIBO WARDERE – Somalia

Hibo Wardere was born in Somalia and a FGM survivor herself. She is also the…