By: Katie Bai
Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a harmful social norm involving the partial or total removal of female-assigned external genitalia or other injury to the female-assigned genital organs for non-medical reasons. Globally, over 230 million girls and women have undergone FGM/C. FGM/C has a long history in the United States, and currently, over half a million women and girls in the US are believed to be at risk or have undergone it.
In 2013, the Population Reference Bureau estimated that there were 2,658 girls and women at risk of FGM/C in Connecticut. Connecticut remains one of nine states without a comprehensive law to address FGM/C, but that may change in 2025.
Past attempts to advance a bill on FGM/C in the state of Connecticut have failed for multiple reasons, including not having enough support and the bill not being survivor-led.
However, in 2020, the Connecticut Coalition to End FGM/C was formed to advocate for legislative change in the state. Bringing together local advocates, survivors, nonprofit leaders, attorneys, and Connecticut residents, the Coalition united diverse voices in the movement to protect girls from FGM/C.
Subsequently, around the same time, a Change.org petition was created by Sahiyo Co-founder and Executive Director Mariya Taher and Sahiyo Advisory Board member Zehra Patwa, two community-based advocates working to end FGM/C, to advocate for legislation that protects children from this harmful social norm. The petition has since been signed by over 80,000 people.
Since its formation, the Connecticut Coalition to End FGM/C has tirelessly worked to spread the word about FGM/C in the state. In December 2020, it hosted a virtual forum with The Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity CT General Assembly (CWSEO) to inform Connecticut residents about the harmful practice; in September 2022, it hosted a webinar with CWSEO to emphasize the prevalence of FGM/C as a local Connecticut issue; and in January 2024, it presented a panel discussion in Hartford prior to the start of the following legislative session to inform legislators and their staff members about the need for comprehensive state laws to end FGM/C. Advocates, survivors, and legal and medical professionals played a crucial role in raising awareness and securing legislative support to end it.
In 2023, Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont and Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz issued a proclamation and citation, respectively, officially recognizing February 6th as International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM/C. Both these proclamations and citations have been reissued by the Governor and Lieutenant Governor every year since 2024, and just recently in 2025.
Despite widespread public support, in March 2024, the Connecticut Judiciary Committee failed to advance a bill that would protect girls and women from FGM/C. The bill would’ve banned the harmful practice, implemented civil remedy solutions for survivors, and provided a program of education for the prevention of FGM/C. However, the Coalition did not give up and rallied support to try again in the next legislative session. On Jan 24th, 2025, the bill “An Act Concerning The Prevention Of Female Genital Mutilation” was introduced in the Connecticut General Assembly. This was subsequently changed to Bill #1438, “An Act Concerning The Prevention Of Female Genital Mutilation”, and this bill was raised in the Judiciary Committee.
On March 24th, 2025, members of The Coalition testified before the Connecticut Judiciary Committee in support of amending the language of Bill #1438 to comprehensively address FGM/C. The executive director from The US Network to End FGM/C, an attorney from Equality Now, a Yale School of Medicine doctor, and a licensed counselor and Connecticut resident. Additionally, Mariya Taher of Sahiyo and Zehra Patwa of WeSpeakOut courageously took the stand to testify during the three and a half hour hearing. Following this hearing, Bill #1438 was passed out of the Judiciary Committee to the Senate, marking the next stage in passing this bill into law.
However, the draft passed does not include the Coalition’s original language, which included civil remedies for survivors and educational provisions. Read more about our stance on the bill here.
Now, we have an opportunity to protect Connecticut women and girls from this harmful practice forever. To show your support for a statewide ban on FGM/C in Connecticut, sign our Change.org petition and Call to Action, or email your legislators and follow us on Facebook!