I was honoured to represent the Asia Network to End FGM/C and Malaysian Doctors for Women & Children at the 61st Human Rights Council (Item 3: Interactive dialogue with the Special Representative of the Secretary‑General on Violence Against Children), on 10th March 2026, where I delivered a short intervention on protecting girls’ rights online and offline.
The full video is available on UN Web TV.
Madam Special Representative, Excellencies,
I am Dr Hannah Nazri, speaking on behalf of the Asia Network to End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting and Malaysian Doctors for Women & Children.
Across Asia, children increasingly live and learn online, where cyberbullying has become one of the most pervasive forms of violence. At least 58% of girls and young women in the Asia-Pacific experienced online abuse in 20201. Girls are targeted first because harmful gender norms persist, and digital spaces often magnify control, judgement, and silencing.
These same norms underpin offline harms. More than 230 million women and girls worldwide have undergone female genital mutilation, including around 80 million in Asia2. Whether performed on infants or school-aged girls, it reflects the continued social control of girls’ bodies.
Digital platforms now amplify these risks. The online promotion and medicalisation of FGM/C, including when presented as safe, religious, or cosmetic, legitimises a harmful practice and spreads misinformation.
We urge Member States to:
- Remove online misinformation on FGM/C and gender-based violence.
- Prohibit and enforce bans on all forms of FGM/C, including medicalised forms.
- Strengthen digital-safety systems alongside survivor support services.
Every girl in Asia deserves to grow up safe, respected, and free.
Thank you.
- Plan International. (2020). Free to be Equal Online: Girls’ and young women’s experiences of being online. https://plan-international.org/uploads/2023/06/SOTWGR2020-CommsReport-edition2023-EN.pdf
- UNICEF. (2024, March 7). Female Genital Mutilation: A global concern. https://data.unicef.org/resources/female-genital-mutilation-a-global-concern-2024/
Related posts:
- A Shared Journey of Advocacy, Evidence, and Regional Leadership | Asia Network to End FGM/C
- 16 Days of Activism 2025 – A Commonwealth Reflection | Royal Commonwealth Society
- Healthcare at a Crossroads: Confronting the Medicalisation of FGM/C | Asia Network to End FGM/C
- Decolonising FGM/C Advocacy: Respecting Local Expertise | Boston Congress of Public Health
- Female Circumcision is Unnecessary: Girls Are Perfect as They Are
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