On the Cusp of the Victory – Fate of Federal FGM Ban is Now in the Hands of the Senate

We have hit a crucial time in our fight against female genital mutilation (FGM). On September 24, 2020, the House of Representatives passed the STOP FGM Act of 2020, a bill that clarifies that FGM is illegal in the U.S. We have fought for this bill since November of 2018, when the existing federal law against FGM was found to be unconstitutional. Read here about that devastating decision.

Without that federal law, tens of thousands of girls in the U.S. are at risk of genital cutting. 

Now, it’s up to the Senate to affirm this federal ban. Your voice can help convince the senators to pass the bill. Will you reach out to your senators and urge them to vote “yes” for the STOP FGM Act of 2020? Find your senators here.

AHA Foundation has been working with the House for almost a year in an attempt to get this bill passed. We’re on the cusp of victory, but if the Senate doesn’t vote to confirm this bill, our fight will have been for nothing.

We can’t let this opportunity escape us! 

Let’s remember that we are fighting for those who can’t fight for themselves—young, vulnerable girls who are forced to undergo FGM and suffer in silence. And we are fighting in honor of survivors who work every day to make sure that no girl suffers from FGM again.

Survivor Stories:

• A Survivor Shares: When Female Genital Cutting Occurs, Childhood Ends and Trauma Begins

• Activist and Survivor of FGM, F.A. Cole, Refuses to be Silent About the Night She was Mutilated

• Dr. Ottenheimer, a Gynecologist on the Frontline of Helping Female Genital Mutilation Survivors

Reach out to your senator now. Ask them to vote in favor of banning FGM. You can find more information about this bill and the contact information for your senators on our advocacy page. 

We are almost there, and your voice can help secure a historic victory against FGM in the U.S.