Female genital mutilation is one of the most horrific abuses that can be perpetrated on a young girl. It involves the excision of the clitoris, cutting of the labia and, in its most extreme form, sewing the vaginal lips shut. It has no medical benefits and can lead to severe…
Practitioners of female genital mutilation are believed to be entering Canada to perform the illegal procedure on girls, according to intelligence reports distributed to frontline border officers. The reports obtained by Global News show the Canada Border Services Agency has been on the alert for the arrival of travelling “PFGMs,”…
ICE has launched an outreach program targeting female genital mutilation (FGM) at JFK Airport to safeguard young women from the outlawed practice, according to an ICE news release. The pilot program, called “Operation Limelight USA,” aims to “Safeguard and prevent young girls from being subjected to FGM by informing passengers travelling…
Yasmin Mumed remembers the brand new pale pink dress with embroidered flowers. She remembers the morning trip to the busy market with her grandmother. And the candy she got to eat. It was a sunny, happy day. Then her mind flashes to the dark room filled with women. The blindfold.…
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Border Enforcement Security Taskforce (BEST), with support from HSI’s Human Rights Violators War Crimes Unit (HRVWCU), has initiated Operation Limelight USA, a pilot program designed to bring awareness to Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and deter its practice through…
Female genital mutilation in the US has “more than tripled” in the past two decades, CNN reports. This tripling coincides with the rise of immigration from countries and cultures where FGM is a common practice. “Since 1990, the estimated number of girls and women in the US who have undergone…