Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting is part of the continuum of gender based violence faced by women and girls.
​Why is it important to fight Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C)?
​​
-
200 million women and girls are subjected to Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting globally. ​​
-
This is a worldwide issue that leads directly and indirectly to the death of women and girls.
-
​
-
FGM/C has been practiced across Africa, the Middle East and Asia for centuries as a form of cleansing, marriage rights and/or social ascension. Cases in the U.S. have tripled from 1990-2012 according to CNN.
​
-
It is estimated that more than half a million women and girls in the United States have been affected or are at risk of FGM/C.
​
-
In the United States only 25 out of 52 states have legislation referencing the coordination or practice of FGM/C, with the first federal prosecution in 2017. To read about the federal legislation, click here. Click here to learn more about the laws in New York State and here to learn more about the laws in New Jersey. To learn more about FGM/C legislation by state, click here.
​
-
FGM/C has been reported in every state with the exception of Hawaii with the greatest concentrations in New York, California, and Minnesota. The New York metropolitan area contains the largest number of women and girls affected or at risk of female genital mutilation/cutting.