UNFPA Renews Call To End Female Genital Mutilation / Cutting. [Medical News Today, UK] UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, has renewed its call for intensified global efforts to save the 3 million girls who still face the risk of female genital mutilation or cutting every year. In her appeal for the International Day Against Female Genital Mutilation, UNFPA Executive Director Thoraya Ahmed Obaid pledged "to increase support for efforts to prevent female genital mutilation or cutting, and advance gender equality and human rights, including the right to sexual and reproductive health". An estimated 120 to 140 million women have been subjected to the practice, which violates the basic rights of women and girls and seriously compromises their health. The practice leaves lasting physical and psychological scars, in addition to the risks it generates during childbirth.