Connecticut Introduces Bill to Ban Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C): A Step in the Right Direction

 

Posted:  January 28. 2025

by Adaobi Iyiegbu

The U.S. End FGM/C Network celebrates the filing of House Bill 6596 on the 24th of January, 2025, which aims to ban FGM/C in Connecticut. We commend Representative Jillian Gilchrest, as well as the 24 cosponsors, for their efforts in successfully filing the bill, as this is a monumental achievement in the fight against this harmful practice.

While we celebrate this, we also lend our voice in unison with that of other advocates and survivors of FGM/C in expressing to Connecticut legislators the urgent need for this bill to be passed into law. 

“Passing an FGM/C Connecticut state law means that every parent can stand up to those who pressure them to cut their daughters and every girl will be protected. One girl cut is one too many. Let’s protect all girls in our state.” – Zehra Patwa, FGM/C Advocate, Survivor, and Connecticut resident 

The Connecticut Coalition to End FGM/C is a survivor-led coalition working to end FGM/C in CT. The coalition, which is consists of 39 organizations, has been working with survivors, organizations, advocates, and lawmakers to pass a holistic bill that would make the practice of FGM/C illegal in the state, protect minors, ban traveling outside of CT for FGM/C, not allow cultural or ritual reasons and/or consent as a defense, and provide community education and outreach to support survivors.

Connecticut is one out of only 9 States yet to have a law that bans FGM/C. A previous attempt to introduce the a bill in 2024 proved unsuccessful – this gap in legislation has left countless women and girls vulnerable to this harmful practice. A 2013 study by the Population Reference Bureau estimated that 2,658 women and girls in Connecticut were at risk of undergoing – or having already undergone FGM/C. 

Most of those impacted by FGM/C in Connecticut live in the metropolitan areas of Greater Worcester and the Hartford-West, Hartford-East, and Hartford areas. However, there are significant communities across the state. A Connecticut ban on FGM/C is time-critical, as Connecticut’s surrounding  states have laws, and Connecticut is the only state bordering New York in which FGM/C is legal (an estimated 48,418 girls and women are currently at risk for FGM/C in New York), making it a potential destination for FGM/C.

FGM/C is a human rights violation recognized in various international and regional human rights instruments and by passing this legislation, Connecticut will be sending a powerful message that FGM/C will not be tolerated in the state and that the lives and rights of women and girls matter. This will further align the state with national and international efforts to end the practice, representing a significant step toward eliminating gender inequality and safeguarding the lives of women and girls from various forms of violence. 

Although there is a federal law against FGM/C in the United States, it is essential to have laws at the state level, where health, child protection, education, law enforcement, and social services are provided. State and municipal laws address gaps left by federal legislation and offer a holistic and comprehensive strategy to end FGM/C. This includes providing education and outreach and allowing survivors the opportunity to advocate for themselves in a court of law if they choose to do so. 

The introduction of this bill symbolizes hope for survivors and advocates in Connecticut, the U.S. as a whole, and globally. The U.S End FGM/C Network in partnership with The Connecticut Coalition to End FGM/C  is calling on the residents of Connecticut to lend your voice to this cause by signing this call to action and contacting your representatives today to express your support for banning FGM/C in Connecticut.

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