Girls in the United Kingdom may be forced to undergo female genital mutilation (FGM) abroad during the Christmas holidays, authorities have warned after more than 1,000 new cases were recorded in just three months. The National FGM Centre said parents could plan the procedures during visits to see family, or…
The House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 3317, Stopping Abusive Female Exploitation (SAFE) Act; legislation introduced by Congress Members Dave Trott (R-MI) and Carolyn B. Maloney (D-NY) to increase the federal penalty for female genital mutilation from 5 years to 15 years in prison and to encourage states to improve…
As of 2016, it was estimated that at least 200 million girls and women across 30 countries had experienced female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM). This is the practice of partially or fully removing the external female genitalia and other forms of unnecessary injury, usually before the girl is 5 years old.…
Locally elected and appointed officials voted on the following matters in the past week: Federal • The House voted 231-198 in favor of the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017. The bill allows people with permits to carry concealed weapons to legally travel with those firearms to other states. Voting…
Young women from the U.S. are at increasing risk of a dangerous ritual known as female genital mutilation. Federal law enforcement has launched an awareness campaign about “vacation cutting.” SCOTT SIMON, HOST: Federal law enforcement has launched an awareness campaign to try to stop what’s known as vacation cutting. That’s…
LANSING, Mich. (WLUC) – A framework to allow individuals with a prior felony conviction to pursue employment at the Michigan Department of Corrections will be created under legislation signed Thursday by Gov. Rick Snyder. Creating opportunities for previous offenders to have successful reentry into society was one of the key priorities…
In a bipartisan show of support, a proposed law to increase the federal penalty for female genital mutilation was passed unanimously by the U.S. House of Representatives on Dec. 5. Sponsored by Rep. Dave Trott, a Republican from Birmingham, the Stopping Abusive Female Exploitation Act establishes a maximum 15-year prison…
Washington — The U.S. House on Tuesday unanimously approved a bipartisan bill sponsored by Michigan Rep. Dave Trott that would increase the maximum federal penalty for female genital mutilation from five years in prison to 15 years. The vote was 409-0. Trott, R-Birmingham, said he was moved to introduce the legislation…
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (CNN) Seleiman Bishagazi never enjoyed the benefits of a university education, but he’s smarter on a basic human rights issue than nearly anyone I’ve met in the world. This activist showed me what ground-level investigation, hard-core determination and a lot of community conversation taught him about the…
LANSING, Mich. – State senators unanimously approved Rep. Peter Lucido‘s legislation allowing the termination of parental rights for anyone who forces their child to undergo female genital mutilation. According to Lucido’s office, the legislation was inspired by a February incident where two young girls from Minnesota were subjected to the procedure at a Livonia clinic.…