The statement was delivered by the organization’s Senior Advocacy Officer, Leon Langdon, during the 61st session of the Council at the Annual Panel on Human Rights Mainstreaming, where states examined efforts to use digital tools to eliminate FGM. Humanists International welcomed the Council’s continued attention to the issue, while urging more robust action to confront the religious narratives that enable it.
In his intervention, Langdon described FGM as one of the most violent forms of physical and psychological harm inflicted on women and girls today, constituting torture and a grave violation of bodily autonomy. While acknowledging that the Council’s 2025 resolution had correctly called for the delinking of FGM from religion, he expressed concern that religious leaders in various contexts continued to act as primary enablers of the practice. He noted that appeals to “tradition” or “culture” were frequently used to shield practices that fundamentally violate human rights.
Turning to solutions, he highlighted the role digital technology could play in combating FGM. Online platforms, he noted, could be used to counter misinformation and disseminate evidence-based resources challenging the myths often invoked to defend the practice. Crucially, digital access could empower girls directly with information about their rights and the severe health consequences of FGM.
This latest intervention builds on a long history of advocacy by the organization to eradicate harmful traditional practices. At the United Nations and other international forums, Humanists International has consistently challenged the notion that culture, religion, or tradition could ever justify human rights abuses. In previous oral statements to the Council and the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights, humanists condemned the defense of discriminatory practices – including FGM, forced marriage, and honour-related violence – arguing that they were rooted in extreme patriarchal ideas and misogyny. The organization has repeatedly urged international bodies to reject cultural exemptions from human rights frameworks and called for targeted educational campaigns to dismantle the acceptance of these abuses.
Simultaneously, the organization and its members have taken direct action to combat the severe persecution stemming from other superstitious traditions, notably witchcraft accusations and ritual child sacrifice. Humanists International provided development grants to partner organizations to document and address violent attacks on vulnerable individuals. Member organizations from countries like Ghana, Malawi, and Nigeria have presented joint submissions that exposed the ongoing torture and murder of those branded as witches. Through these coordinated efforts, the global humanist community pressed local governments to enact strict legislative prohibitions against witch hunts and to hold the perpetrators of such violence fully accountable.
Featured Photo by Daniel Nouri on Pexels.
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