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New Estimate Puts FGM Survivors in Italy at 88,000, With 16,000 Girls at Risk

Years of scarce reporting alongside idle budgets are spurring demands for tougher enforcement.

Overview

  • The estimate by Università Milano-Bicocca, Università di Bologna and ISMU counts roughly 88,500 women living in Italy who have undergone FGM and identifies about 16,000 girls under 15 at risk.
  • ActionAid reports the Interior Ministry’s national FGM helpline logged 228 calls in 16 years with only nine FGM-related reports, despite nearly €5 million allocated and more than €3.6 million not spent.
  • The Health Ministry transferred over €18.3 million to regions from 2005 to 2025 for prevention, training and assistance, yet NGOs say outcomes are poorly tracked.
  • An Ipsos survey for Amref Italia finds only 7% of Italians feel very informed about FGM, and 38% are unsure whether affected women and girls live in the country.
  • Senator Cinzia Pellegrino calls for annual implementation reports, mandatory training for health professionals and broader definitions to make ritual practices prosecutable, as Rome’s Bambino Gesù hospital confirms clandestine cases occur.