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A new case of female genital mutilation (FGM) has been discovered and treated every hour. Plan International UK statistics showed there were 8,656 cases of FGM that was identified or FGM was undertaken between April 2015 and March 2016. This showed 23.7 cases of FGM daily or one in every 60.7 minutes.

Between April 2015 and March 2016, there were 5,702 newly recorded cases reported. It showed an average of 15.6 cases per day, one case every 92.1 minutes. An estimated 200 million women and girls are affected worldwide.

OnMedica reported, chief executive Tanya Barron of the Plan International UK said that International Day of Zero tolerance served as a reminder of global prevalence of FGM. There has been more awareness across UK and around the world of the dangers of the practice. A recent project in Mali had a ten percent reduction where four villages banned the practice entirely.

According to BBC the World Health Organization described the practice of FGM as the partial or total removal of the female external gentalia. Hibo Wardere, 46, an FGM survivor who was mutilated when she was six years old said "An open wound rubbed with salt or hot chilli - it felt like that."

Avon and the Somerset Police have led the use of FGM protection orders (FDMPO) nationally to protect potential victims. Since the legislation was brought in July 2015, 10 FGMPOs have already been applied.

There have been 97 applications and 79 orders made in England and Wales up to the end of September 2016. Since 1985, carrying out FGM has been illegal in the UK, but there has not been a single successful prosecution.

A series of FGM awareness posters have been made by the National Police Chiefs Council and the Freedom Charity to highlight the problem. It aims to encourage people to use the #EndFGM hashtag.