The BBC reports on the Girl Summit, which is addressing FGM and child marriage.
Hosted by the UK government and children’s charity Unicef, the summit is being attended by international politicians, campaigners including the Pakistani teenager Malala Yousafzai, and women who have undergone FGM.
The summit is also looking at ways to end forced marriage.
‘Big challenge’
Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, executive director of UN Women, said the situation was improving but many girls remained at risk.
“The fact that 30 million girls are at risk of being cut in the coming years clearly means that we have a big challenge on our hands,” she said.
Priscilla Karim, who was forced to undergo FGM in Sierra Leone aged nine, described her ordeal.
She said: “I felt the worst pain of my life and a heavy object sitting on my chest and I just passed out.
“It’s like a taboo, they don’t tell you about it. You cannot tell anybody.”