Federal agents are investigating additional targets in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York as part of a probe into the spread of the use of female genital mutilation, according to a report Tuesday. A grand jury investigation had originally focused on girls in Michigan and Minnesota, but new court documents…
Ontario doctors grappling with how to treat women who as young girls were subjected to female genital mutilation are sometimes asked to reverse part of the procedure done a world away, provincial records show. The process — surgically reopening the vagina — is called “repair of infibulations,” according to the…
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.…
It’s a brutal practice that’s inflicted on thousands of girls and women every year. Female genital mutilation, or female ritual cutting, involves altering or injuring female genital organs. It’s often done by people with no medical training and in filthy places, posing horrendous health risks that can linger for decades.…
Maine Lawmakers Voting Soon on Similar Law That Would Make FGM a Crime and Protect Girls and Women; #ENDFGMTODAY Washington, D.C.—The state of Michigan now recognizes female genital mutilation (FGM) as a felony in that state, punishable by up to 15 years in prison, thanks to a bill signed by…
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…
A group from outside Maine is urging lawmakers to reconsider a bill that would add new state penalties for female genital mutilation, or FGM. The practice, largely unheard of in the United States, has been getting increasing attention lately. The group, “End FGM Today” wants Maine lawmakers to pass the…
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder signed several bills into law Tuesday, increasing the penalties for female genital mutilation. Of the 13 bills he signed into law, one of the bills he signed would classify female genital mutilation (FGM) in Michigan as a felony that carries a penalty of up to 15…