Against All Odds, U.S. Congress Passes Federal FGM Ban
Congress passed the STOP FGM Act of 2020 on December 16 2021 and then-President Trump signed it into law on January 5 2021.
12-16-2020
Update from January 5: President Trump signed the STOP FGM Act of 2020 into law after it was passed by Congress on December 16. We can not explain how excited we are to finally give women and girls at risk of this horrible procedure the federal protection they deserve. Our work must continue. There are still 11 states and the District of Columbia that still do not have state law against this heinous practice
Late last night we received news that the STOP FGM Act of 2020 passed unanimously in the Senate!
18 long months since it was found unconstitutional and left in legal limbo, the federal law against female genital mutilation (FGM) has finally been reaffirmed!
Survivors, advocates, donors, legislators—hundreds of people who have worked tirelessly on the front lines of this enormous effort—can now breathe a sigh of relief. These are their reactions coming in from across our nation:
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, FGM survivor and founder of AHA Foundation:
“In an incredibly difficult year, the little girls in our country who are vulnerable to this painful practice were not forgotten. The STOP FGM Act is a strong bill that makes it clear that in this country, we do not tolerate this practice, and we will not stand idly by as girls are cut.”
Marsha Blackburn, Senator from Tennessee:
“I’m pleased that we’ve finally reached agreement on language to enhance penalties for female genital mutilation, a truly horrible practice. I introduced legislation on this subject last year, and I thank my colleagues in the House who worked with me on this issue. The law that passed will send a strong message that Congress condemns the violent and disgusting butchery of young girls and women in this country.”
Joni Ernst, Senator from Iowa:
“As we’re wrapping up this Congress, it’s certainly encouraging to see that we’ve made progress in eliminating the horrific practice of female genital mutilation (FGM). FGM is an uncomfortable issue to discuss, but we must continue calling attention to it and educating ourselves on the signs so that we are equipped to protect young girls from this excruciating practice.”
Andrea G.Bottner, Senior Advisor to Independent Women’s Forum:
“The STOP FGM Act of 2020 will finally offer young women and girls stronger protection from the horror of female genital mutilation. No girl should ever have to face this in her lifetime. The bipartisan nature of this legislation shows that when it comes to the safety of young girls, politics shouldn’t matter.”
Deborah Benson, led Massachusetts Women’s Bar Association coalition to end FGM in Massachusetts:
“FGM is a cultural norm that legitimizes and reinforces harmful attitudes about women and girls and their place in society and inhibits a girl’s right of self-determination over her reproductive and sexual health. Passing this legislation is a step towards the elimination of gender inequality.”
Jenny, an FGM survivor and advocate from Kentucky:
“I was so thankful to hear that Congress has passed a federal law banning FGM. This will be life-changing for girls that are at risk in this country, and for moms wanting to protect girls from this practice within their communities but didn’t have anything to help them in that fight to protect them. FGM/C can be life-changing for anyone that endures it, can negatively impact a victims life in so many ways, I am filled with so much joy for so many girls that will be saved because of this law.”
Joanna, Founder and Executive Director of forma:
“I’m thrilled with the passage of this critical and long-awaited FGM bill!!!! My thanks and gratitude go to the AHA Foundation for your relentless policy and program initiatives to help make this happen!!! It will help protect the many girls who are at risk of being cut and will help advance abandonment efforts!”
Undoubtedly, this is AHA Foundation’s biggest accomplishment this year. 2020 has been incredibly busy for Congress—between COVID-19 relief and social justice reform, senators and representatives were overwhelmed with difficult work. Nevertheless, we continued to remind them that girls at risk of FGM in the U.S. still need us. We continued to argue that we must not turn a blind eye, and by sharing stories from survivors, counselors, and police officers working on the front lines, we highlighted their worries that girls are at a heightened risk of FGM this year due to lockdowns.
All of these efforts paid off.
In September, the bill, which had been introduced by Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, was passed by the House of Representatives before moving to the Senate Judiciary Committee. With the pandemic still raging and a looming election, there was a lot of concern that this bill would never make it out of Congress. Those fears were reinforced when the Lame-Duck session began.
Yet, calling for bipartisan support has always been AHA Foundation’s legislative approach. We believe that women’s rights are not a political issue and we should all rally around protecting women and girls at risk. At the end of the day, Congress took that approach when they joined together to pass this FGM bill.
The Senate knew they couldn’t let the opportunity to protect thousands of girls pass them by. Thankfully, Senators like Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee and Joni Ernst from Iowa worked to ensure the bill did not die in the Senate.
You can read our joint press release with Independent Women’s Voice on the victory here.
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