Protecting Girls from Genital Mutilation in Massachusetts
Since 2013, AHA Foundation has been working in the state of Massachusetts to criminalize female genital mutilation (FGM). Unfortunately, with each passing legislative session, state legislators consistently fail to protect girls from this horrific abuse.
The AHA Foundation has seen bill after bill die in the state legislature and this harmful trend is leaving Massachusettsan girls vulnerable to FGM. Currently, the Population Reference Bureau estimates that there are 14,211 women and girls at risk or who have already undergone FGM in Massachusetts.
Massachusetts has one of the largest populations of girls at risk of FGM in the United States who are not protected by a specific state anti-FGM law. It is also one of 22 states that received an “F” on the AHA Foundation’s FGM state legislation grading scale. For the sake of Massachusetts girls, we must change this.
But we cannot do it alone. We are reaching out for help from our supporters in Massachusetts. For our Massachusetts-based supporters, please consider asking your representative to co-sponsor An Act to Protect Girls from Genital Mutilation (HD849 and SD617 filed by Representatives Jay Livingstone and Natalie Higgins and Senator Joe Boncore).
We need your help now. Let’s send the message that we will not let girls in Massachusetts be subjected to FGM.
Read our past blogs about FGM legislation failing to pass in Massachusetts:
Why Won’t Massachusetts Pass a Law to Stop FGM? – Fair Observer
Massachusetts Bill Criminalizing FGM is Gaining Momentum – You Can Help Move It Forward
Protect girls from genital mutilation in Massachusetts