Maine House Speaker Sara Gideon Balks at Bringing L.D. 745 Up for Vote on Aug. 2; Law Criminalizes Barbaric Practice in State; #EndFGMToday Washington, D.C.—In less than a week, Maine lawmakers will have a chance to protect girls from the horrors of female genital mutilation (FGM) in their state. On…
This fall, a United States district judge will hear a landmark case: For the first time, the federal government is pursuing a case of female genital mutilation on American soil. Defense lawyers have said they will argue a freedom of religion defense – setting the stage for an explosive test…
Animated chatter spills out from a corner of tech giant Google’s Nairobi offices as five Kenyan schoolgirls discuss their upcoming trip to California where they hope to win $15,000 for I-cut, an app to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The five teenagers, aged 15 to 17, are the only Africans…
Female genital mutilation (FGM) defies all standards of humanity and has been condemned as a hideous violation of human rights by the United Nations and the World Health Organization. The Centers for Disease Control estimates that more than 513,000 girls are at risk of FGM in the United States. With…
Crucial Bill to Criminalize FGM in Maine Not Dead, Up for Vote in Senate on August 2—Pressure Now on House Democrats; #EndFGMToday Washington, D.C.—There are few in America who would argue that mutilating the genitals of little girls is excusable. Yet, some lawmakers in Maine are preventing the criminalization of…
When authorities discovered that a pair of Michigan doctors were using a Livonia clinic to perform genital mutilations on young girls, they had to charge the suspects in federal court because Michigan had no state law outlawing the practice. Earlier this month, Gov. Rick Snyder signed a bill that will…
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…
On July 19, U.S. District Court Judge Bernard Friedman denied bail for Dr. Jumana Nagarwala, a physician, as the Detroit Free Press reported, “accused of cutting the genitals of two Minnesota girls as part of a religious procedure.” According to the court, Nagarwala may have subjected as many as 100…
Governor Rick Snyder signed a large bill package last week that makes female genital mutilation a felony in Michigan, but he could see more bills on this issue headed to his desk. The additional bills deal with police training and parental rights. Democratic state Representative Vanessa Guerra sponsored the legislation, HB 4640,…