Jakarta, Feb. 17 -- The Ministry of Health highlighted that ending female genital mutilation (FGM) should be seen as an investment in human development, alongside efforts to stop the social norms that drive the practice.

The ministry's Director of Vulnerable Groups' Health Services, Imran Pambudi, said in Jakarta on Tuesday that this year's International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation is commemorated with the theme of "No End to FGM Without Sustained Commitment and Investment."

He noted that the latest data from the 2024 National Women's Life Experience Survey (SPHPN) shows that the prevalence of FGM practice has only dropped slightly over the last decade, from 52 percent in 2013 to 46 percent in 2024.

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