Protecting Children in Washington State from Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting

Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a harmful social norm practiced worldwide and the United Nations has declared it a human rights violation. A 2016 study by the Population Reference Bureau estimated that 25,000 girls and women living in Washington State are living with or at risk of undergoing FGM/C. They ranked the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area as the 5th highest metro area in the US in terms of the size of the FGM/C-affected community. Despite this reality, Washington is one of the remaining 10 U.S. states without any state-level law protecting girls from this harmful practice.

In Washington, many other human rights violations stemming from social norms have been addressed through legislation such as human trafficking and conversion therapy. However, Washington has yet to address the issue of FGM/C. This webinar will emphasize the importance of the state of Washington moving forward to address this issue through policy to better protect women, girls, and others from undergoing this harmful practice. 

The Washington Coalition to End FGM/C is sponsoring this webinar in partnership with Sahiyo, The U.S. End FGM/C Network, Children’s Alliance, and Mother Africa.