Fact Sheet On Female Genital Mutilation USA

The United States is committed to ending female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C).  If you believe you are at risk of FGM/C, know of someone at risk of FGM/C, have questions about FGM/C, or have undergone FGM/C and need help or further information, please contact the number below.

What Is FGM/C?

The Department of State defines female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C) as all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. FGM/C is typically carried out on young girls between infancy and adolescence, and occasionally on adult women. FGM/C is a human rights abuse and form of violence against women and girls (VAWG). The practice has no health benefits and can lead to both immediate and long-term physical and mental health problems. It is estimated that FGM/C has affected more than 200 million women and girls alive today. The reasons for practicing FGM/C differ from region to region and include a mix of sociocultural factors within families and communities.

What Are the Health Effects of FGM/C?

Immediate effects may include blood loss, severe pain, fever, shock and sometimes death. Long-term health problems can include urinary or other infections, infertility, painful menstruation or sexual intercourse, and possible need for later surgeries. In addition, women and girls who have experienced FGM/C are significantly more likely to experience difficulties during childbirth and their babies are more likely to die as a result of the practice. Finally, the practice can leave girls and women with long-term psychological challenges, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, low self-esteem, or other challenges.

What Is the U.S. Government’s View on FGM/C?

The U.S. Government opposes FGM/C, no matter the type, degree, or severity, or the motivation for performing it, whether for cultural, religious, or other reasons. The U.S. Government considers FGM/C to be a human rights abuse, and a form of VAWG and child abuse.

Why Is the United States Providing This FGM/C Notice?

The United States is committed to ending FGM/C to protect the health and well-being and advance the rights of girls and women globally. The United States is working at home and abroad to prevent and respond to FGM/C and to help raise awareness about the serious, damaging effects of FGM/C on women and girls.

What Are the Criminal Consequences of Performing or Assisting in FGM/C?

It is against U.S. law to perform, attempt to perform, or conspire to perform FGM/C on a girl under the age of 18, or to send her outside the United States for the purpose of FGM/C (18 USC § 116). It is also against the law for a parent, guardian, or caretaker to facilitate or to consent to FGM/C. Violation of the law is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, fines, or both. There is no exception for performing FGM/C because of religion, custom, ritual, tradition or standard practice. Additionally, 41 states have laws criminalizing FGM/C and FGM/C constitutes a form of child abuse, which is prohibited in every state.

What Are the Immigration Consequences of Violating the Laws Against FGM/C?

Violating the laws against FGM/C – even without a criminal conviction – may have significant immigration consequences, including making one inadmissible to or removable from the United States, as well as ineligible for some immigration benefits.   

Have Women Who Have Undergone FGM/C Broken Any Laws?

An individual who has undergone FGM/C is not at fault. They have not violated any U.S. laws by undergoing the procedure. Eligibility for travel to or for immigration benefits from the United States is not negatively affected by the fact that a person has undergone FGM/C. An individual who has undergone FGM/C may be eligible for certain immigration benefits and should consult with a qualified attorney or accredited representative if they have questions about immigration relief options.

Where Can One Find Additional Resources?

If you believe you are at risk of FGM/C or have undergone FGM/C, have questions about FGM/C, have information about someone who is performing FGM/C in the United States, or know of someone who may be at risk of having the procedure done here or outside the United States, please contact 800-225-5324 (FBI), 866-347-2423 (DHS ICE Homeland Security Investigations), 800-4-A-Child (800-422-4453), or U.S. End FGM/C Network (endfgmnetwork.org). If you are or know a US citizen overseas at risk of FGM/C, please contact the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate or the U.S. Department of State, Office of Overseas Citizens Services, at (888) 407-4747 (from the U.S. or Canada) or (202) 501-4444 (from overseas). 

Fact Sheet On Female Genital Mutilation UK

The topic has attracted much discussion over the years and the UK government have shown a commitment to preventing FGM in the UK.

Young girls are often taken abroad for FGM, especially in the summer holidays so that they have time to ‘heal’ from the procedure before they return to school.

FGM has been illegal in the United Kingdom since 1985 but the law was strengthened with the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 by making it a criminal offence for UK nationals to perform or arrange FGM overseas. It also increased the maximum prison sentence from 5 to 14 years and allowed FGM victims to obtain anonymity from the date the allegation is made to last for the victim’s whole life. Under this newer legislation that is responsible for a child and fails to protect them from FGM can be imprisoned for up to 7 years. 

Additionally in 2015 mandatory reporting of FGM was introduced to professionals such as doctors, nurses and teachers whereby if a girl under the age of 18 has been identified as having had FGM the police must be notified.

These were introduced in 2015 which can protect girls that are at risk of FGM by attaching provisions to the order to surrender travel documents preventing family members from taking the girl abroad.

Despite the extensive legislation and protective measures in place in the UK, to date there have been no convictions in relation to FGM and girls continue to be at risk of having FGM. However, in November 2017 the media reported that a London man originating from Africa is to be charged with inflicting female genital mutilation in a landmark prosecution.

Awareness of FGM has increased in recent years with campaigns such as the Red Triangle Initiative launching the International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM which takes place on 6 February.

However there is no requirement at the moment to include FGM as a topic in sex and education classes in schools although it is included in statutory guidance. It is suggested that including this topic in schools may go some way in protecting young girls who may recognise that this is an abhorrent practice therefore giving them the courage to come forward and report the matter to a school teacher. 

If you or someone you know is at risk of FGM the following support services are available for you to contact:

• Contact the police if someone is in immediate danger on 999

 Serious Crime Act 2015   Factsheet – female genital mutilation  

• 1. Female genital mutilation (“FGM”) involves procedures that include the partial or  total removal of the external female genital organs for non-medical reasons.  The  practice is extremely painful and has serious health consequences both at the  time when the mutilation is carried out and in later life. 

•  2. The age at which girls undergo FGM varies enormously according to the  community. The procedure may be carried out when the girl is newborn, during  childhood or adolescence, just before marriage or during the first pregnancy.  However, the majority of cases of FGM are thought to take place between the  ages of five and eight.  

•  3. FGM has been a specific criminal offence in the UK since 1985 when the (UK wide) Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act (“the 1985 Act”) was passed.  The  Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 (“the 2003 Act”) replaced the 1985 Act in  England, Wales and Northern Ireland1.  It modernised the offence of FGM and  the offence of assisting a girl to carry out FGM on herself while also creating  extra-territorial offences to deter people from taking girls abroad for mutilation.   To reflect the serious harm caused, the 2003 Act increased the maximum penalty  for any of the FGM offences from five to 14 years’ imprisonment.   

•  4. To date no-one has been convicted of FGM in England and Wales.  In July 2014,  the UK Government and UNICEF hosted the first Girl Summit,2 aimed at  mobilising domestic and international efforts to end FGM. The Government made  a number of commitments for new legislation to tackle FGM.  Current law   

• 5. Under the 2003 Act it is an offence for any person in England, Wales or Northern  Ireland (regardless of their nationality or residence status) to perform FGM  (section 1); or to assist a girl to carry out FGM on herself (section 2).  It is also an  offence to assist (from England, Wales or Northern Ireland) a non-UK national or  resident to carry out FGM outside the UK on a UK national or permanent UK  resident (section 3).  

• 6. Section 4 extends sections 1 to 3 to extra-territorial acts so that it is also an  offence for a UK national or permanent UK resident to: perform FGM abroad;  assist a girl to perform FGM on herself outside the UK; and assist (from outside  the UK) a non-UK national or resident to carry out FGM outside the UK on a UK  national or permanent UK resident.  1The Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (Scotland) Act 2005 replaced the 1985 Act in Scotland.   

• 7. The intention was for the extra-territorial provisions to catch offences involving  those with a substantial connection to the UK but not those who were here  temporarily. However, the Director of Public Prosecutions has highlighted a small  number of cases where the CPS could not prosecute for FGM committed abroad  because those involved were not, at the material time, permanent UK residents  as defined by the 2003 Act.    Extension of extra-territorial jurisdiction  

• 8. Against that background, section 70(1) of the Serious Crime Act 2015 (“the 2015  Act”) amends section 4 of the 2003 Act so that the extra-territorial jurisdiction  extends to prohibited acts done outside the UK by a UK national or a person who  is resident in the UK.  Consistent with that change, section 70(1) also amends  section 3 of the 2003 Act (offence of assisting a non-UK person to mutilate  overseas a girl’s genitalia) so it extends to acts of FGM done to a UK national or  a person who is resident in the UK.   

• 9. “UK resident” is defined as an individual who is habitually resident in the UK.  The  term habitually resident covers a person's ordinary residence, as opposed to a  short, temporary stay in a country.  

• 10. These changes will mean that the 2003 Act can capture offences of FGM  committed abroad by or against those who are at the time are habitually resident  in the UK irrespective of whether they are subject to immigration restrictions. It  will be for the courts to determine on the facts of individual cases whether or not  those involved are habitually resident in the UK and thus covered by the 2003  Act.  

• 11. Section 70(2) of the 2015 Act makes equivalent amendments to the Prohibition of  Female Genital Mutilation (Scotland) Act 2005.  Anonymity of victims of FGM  

• 12. Reluctance to be identified as a victim of FGM is believed to be one of the  reasons for the low incidence of reporting of this offence. It is anticipated that  providing for the anonymity of victims of alleged offences of FGM will encourage  more victims to come forward.   

• 13. Section 71 of the 2015 Act amends the 2003 Act to prohibit the publication of any  information that would be likely to lead to the identification of a person against  whom an FGM offence is alleged to have been committed. This is similar,  although not identical, to the anonymity given to alleged victims of sexual  offences by the Sexual Offences (Amendment) Act 1992.   

• 14. Anonymity will commence once an allegation has been made and will last for the  duration of the victim’s lifetime.  

• 15. There are two limited circumstances where the court may disapply the restrictions  on publication. The first is where a person being tried for an FGM offence, could  have their defence substantially prejudiced if the restriction to prevent  identification of the person against whom the allegation of FGM was committed is  not lifted. The second circumstances is where  preventing identification of the  person against whom the allegation of FGM was committed, could be seen as a  substantial and unreasonable restriction on the reporting of the proceedings and  it is considered in the public interest to remove the restriction.   Offence of failing to protect a girl from risk of FGM  

• 16. Section 72 of the 2015 Act inserts new section 3A into the 2003 Act; this creates  a new offence of failing to protect a girl from FGM.  This will mean that if an  offence of FGM is committed against a girl under the age of 16, each person who  is responsible for the girl at the time of FGM occurred will be liable under this new  offence. The maximum penalty for the new offence is seven years’ imprisonment  or a fine or both.  

• 17. To be “responsible” for a girl, the person will either have parental responsibility for  the girl (such as mothers, fathers married to the mothers at the time of birth and  guardians) and have frequent contact with her, or where the person is aged 18 or  over they will have assumed responsibility for caring for the girl “in the manner of  a parent”, for example family members to whom parents might send their child  during the summer holidays.    

• 18. The requirement for “frequent contact” is intended to ensure that a person who in  law has parental responsibility for a girl, but who in practice has little or no  contact with her, would not be liable. Similarly, the requirement that the person  should be caring for the girl “in the manner of a parent” is intended to ensure that  a person who is looking after a girl for a very short period – such as a baby sitter – would not be liable.  

• 19. It would be a defence for a defendant to show that at the relevant time, they did  not think that there was a significant risk of FGM being committed, and could not  reasonably have been expected to be aware that there was any such risk; or they  took such steps as he or she could reasonably have been expected to take to  protect the girl from being the victim of FGM.  The onus would then be on the  prosecution to prove the contrary.  Female Genital Mutilation Protection Order (“FGMPO”)  

• 20. At the Girl Summit on 22 July 2014 the Prime Minister launched a consultation on  a proposal to introduce a specific civil law measure for the purpose of protecting  potential or actual victims of FGM, closely modelled on the forced marriage  protection orders in the Family Law Act 1996.  85% of the respondents to the  consultation supported the proposal.3  

• 21. Section 73 of the 2015 Act provides, therefore, for FGMPOs for the purposes of  protecting a girl against the commission of a genital mutilation offence or  protecting a girl against whom such an offence has been committed. Breach of  an FGMPO would be a criminal offence with a maximum penalty of five years’  imprisonment, or as a civil breach punishable by up to two years’ imprisonment.  

• 22. The court may make a FGMPO on application by the girl who is to be protected  or a third party.  The court must consider all the circumstances including the need  to secure the health, safety, and well-being of the girl.  Protection-order 

• 23. Under the new provisions an FGMPO might contain such prohibitions, restrictions  or other requirements for the purposes of protecting a victim or potential victim of  FGM. This could include, for example, provisions to surrender a person’s  passport or any other travel document; and not to enter into any arrangements, in  the UK or abroad, for FGM to be performed on the person to be protected.  Duty to notify police of female genital mutilation  

• 24. At the Girl Summit, the Prime Minister also announced the Government’s  intention to introduce a mandatory reporting duty for FGM.  A consultation on how  to introduce the duty ran from 5 December 2014 to 12 January 2015, and the  Government’s response was published on 12 February. The intention is that the  new duty will make professionals’ responsibilities in respect of FGM absolutely  clear, and that it will aid police investigations and support an increase in the  number of perpetrators caught and prosecuted.  

• 25. Section 74 inserts new section 5B into the 2003 Act which creates a new  mandatory reporting duty requiring specified regulated professionals in England  and Wales to make a report to the police. The duty applies where, in the course  of their professional duties, a professional discovers that FGM appears to have  been carried out on a girl aged under 18 (at the time of the discovery).   

• 26. The duty applies where the professional either:    is informed by the girl that an act of FGM has been carried out on her, or   observes physical signs which appear to show an act of FGM has carried out  and has no reason to believe that the act was necessary for the girl’s physical  or mental health or for purposes connected with labour or birth.  

• 27. The duty applies to professionals working within healthcare or social care, and  teachers. It therefore covers:   Professionals regulated by a body overseen by the Professional Standards  Authority (with the exception of the Pharmaceutical Society of Northern  Ireland). This includes doctors, nurses, midwives, and, in England, social  workers,   Teachers,   Social care workers in Wales.   

• 28. The duty does not apply where a professional has reason to believe that another  individual working in the same profession has previously made a report to the  police in connection with the same act of FGM. For these purposes, professionals  regulated by a body which belongs to the Professional Standards Authority are  considered as belonging to the same profession.  Guidance about female genital mutilation 

•  29. Section 75 inserts new section 5C into the 2003 Act which confers on the  Secretary of State a power to issue statutory guidance on FGM which relevant  individuals are required to have regard to.   Other steps being taken to tackle FGM  26. Amending the law is not the only answer to securing additional prosecutions and  convictions for FGM nor can it eradicate a practice that has been deeply  ingrained in the culture of practising communities. The Government is committed  to preventing and ending this form of violence against women and girls.  Other  measures announced at the Girl Summit included:     working to improve the police response to FGM. The College of Policing will  issue new guidance to raise awareness of FGM among officers. In addition,  Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary will carry out an inspection of the  police response to honour based violence with a focus on FGM and forced  marriage;    a national FGM Prevention Programme, working in partnership with NHS  England;    new briefing for schools on FGM and forced marriage commissioned by the  Department for Education;    more funding to help charities raise awareness and a network of community  champions with the cultural knowledge and connections necessary to  challenge beliefs and change behaviour; and   a new cross-government specialist FGM unit working with criminal justice  partners, children’s services, healthcare professionals and affected  communities. The FGM Unit was launched on 5 December 2014.  

• 27. The Crown Prosecution Service is also working closely with the police to identify  girls and women at risk of, or who have been subjected to, FGM.  

• 28. FGM is unlikely to end in the UK before it ends in Africa so the Department for  International Development is leading a £35 million flagship programme to support  the Africa-led movement to end FGM and is supporting work in 17 countries.  Ministry of Justice/Home Office  March 2015  

 Fact Sheet On Female Genital Mutilation EU

Female genital mutilation (FGM) refers to procedures involving the partial or complete removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genitals for non-medical reasons.  Usually it is done by a traditional circumciser using a blade and without anaesthetic. Although internationally recognised as a human rights violation, about 68 million girls worldwide are at risk of it by 2030.

In which countries is female circumcision practiced?

FGM is primarily practised in about 30 countries in Africa and the Middle East. It is also practiced in some countries in Asia and Latin America and among communities coming from these regions.

Although it is illegal in the EU and some member states prosecute even when it performed outside the country, it is estimated that about 600,000 women living in Europe have been subjected to FGM and a further 180,000 girls are at a high risk in 13 European countries alone.

What are the reasons for female genital mutilation?

FGM is mostly carried out on girls between infancy and 15. It goes back to a mix of cultural and social reasons, such as social pressure and convention, beliefs that FGM has religious support or ideas of beauty and purity. The practice predates the rise of Christianity and Islam and reflects deep-rooted inequalities between the sexes.

Unfortunately, women's bodies have always been a battlefield. It's always about men's control over women's bodies

MEP Maria Noichl (S&D, Germany)in a debate in the European Parliament on 18 December 2019

• severe pain and excessive bleeding
• difficulty when passing urine
• cysts, infections and infertility
• psychological problems
• diminished sexual pleasure
• complications in childbirth
• higher risk of new-born deaths

The European Parliament’s commitment to end female genital mutilation

The European Parliament has repeatedly demonstrated a strong commitment to help eliminate the practice of FGM worldwide. By adopting laws and resolutions, MEPs have advocated common action to eradicate female genital mutilation.

On Wednesday, 12 February, members adopted a new resolution calling on the European Commission to include actions to end FGM in the new EU Gender Equality Strategy, to be presented in March, and to provide care for survivors.

They also urged EU countries to ratify the Council of Europe’s Istanbul Convention on preventing and combating violence against women and reiterated calls to incorporate FGM prevention measures in all policy areas, especially in health, asylum, education and employment. MEPs also expressed their concerns about the increasingly widespread phenomenon of “medicalisation” of FGM.

Read more about the Parliament’s fight for women’s rights

What would we say if this was our mother, our sister, our wife, our cousins? We have to be the voice for those women who cannot speak for themselves

MEP Frances Fitzgerald (EPP, Ireland)in a debate in the European Parliament on 18 December 2019

An app to tackle FGM

In 2019, the Restorers, a group of five students from Kenya who developed an app helping girls deal with female genital mutilation, were shortlisted for the Parliament's Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought. Their nomination marks an important step in the fight against FGM, empowering young people to play a role in their own communities.