Don’t call Adama Lee Bah a victim. She is most definitely a survivor. Not only that, she is thriving. At age 7, in her home country of The Gambia, Bah was subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM), a cultural practice that involves the mutilation or cutting of the female genitalia…
Gov. Rick Snyder signed 13 bills Tuesday stemming from a case of female genital mutilation that happened in Livonia in April. “Those who commit these horrendous crimes should be held accountable for their actions, and these bills stiffen the penalties for offenders while providing additional support to victims,” Snyder said.…
When she flew into Nairobi airport, Marci Bowers’ huge suitcase was crammed with sutures and medical instruments, everything she could fit inside. The doctor from San Francisco was bound for a hospital in one of the Kenyan capital’s slums and needed the equipment for the work ahead: repairing women’s bodies,…
Jaha Dukureh, now 27, was only one week old when the incident that came to define her life’s mission occurred. That is when, as was the custom of her home town of Gambissara, Gambia, a traditional “cutter” removed her clitoris and labia and then sewed the opening together, leaving only…
A Detroit-area doctor at the center of a female genital mutilation investigation is asking a judge to release her from jail while she awaits trial. Dr. Jumana Nagarwala has been in custody since her arrest in April. In a court filing Friday, her lawyer says Nagarwala isn’t a risk to…
A bill sponsored by a Scarborough legislator is in the works right now to protect the health of minors across the state. The bill, LD745 “An Act to Prohibit Female Genital Mutilation,” which is sponsored by Rep. Heather Sirocki, would make the cutting of external female genitalia on minors…
Hundreds of people have been convicted of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) offences in France, yet the UK has failed to bring a single successful prosecution, despite the practice being illegal for 31 years. Hundreds of thousands of women are thought to be living with the consequence of FGM in the…
Elizabeth Ralyea remembers people holding her arms and legs while she screamed and kicked at the woman who approached with a razor blade. She thinks she was about 6, or maybe 8, and she was living with her family in the West African country of Burkina Faso. The elder woman…
Candidate Donald Trump promised to stop importing jihadists and others who “don’t share our values.” His administration is cleared to implement a partial immigration pause meant as a first step towards devising and implementing techniques to keep such people out – but permit entry for those seeking to embrace, and…
June 28, 2017: This bill has been close to my heart for months. And that is why it pained me to hear recently from several people indicating that they felt my motives and intentions were in question. I also read several messages that accused me of refusing to meet with…