By: Katie Bai
After six years of tireless work from survivors, advocates, and legislators, Washington, D.C. has enacted L25-0322, now D.C. § 22–1431, titled the “Female Genital Mutilation Prohibition Act of 2024.” We celebrate the comprehensiveness of this law and are proud to witness D.C. become the final member of the Washington D.C., Maryland, and Virginia (DMV) area to enact a law protecting girls from female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C).
The Population Reference Bureau estimates that 3,808 women and girls in D.C. are at risk of undergoing FGM/C. In the DMV area alone, 51,411 girls are at-risk of this procedure.
Recognizing these staggering figures, FGM/C survivors, legislative advocates, and organizations like Sahiyo, The US End FGM/C Network, Global Woman P.E.A.C.E Foundation, and George Washington University have been calling for legislation to address this human rights violation since 2019.
Legislation addressing FGM/C has been introduced previously in the district, including B23-0339 (2019-2020) and B24-0516 (2021). However, they both failed to advance to completion.
On April 13th, 2023, B25-0247 was introduced to the D.C. Council. In the fall of 2023, this bill was referred to the Committee on Judiciary and Public Safety. In 2024, B25-0247 was then titled the “Female Genital Mutilation Prohibition Act of 2024” and signed by the Mayor. In 2025, this bill moved to Congress and was officially enacted on May 2nd.
In addition to making FGM/C illegal to perform, D.C.’s law also:
- Outlines punitive measures as a fine (amounts vary by case – see D.C. § 22-3571.01) and/or imprisonment for up to 10 years, including anyone who aids, permits, or otherwise facilitates FGM/C;
- Includes a “vacation cutting” provision, ensuring that the harmful practice remains a felony even if an individual temporarily leaves D.C. to undergo FGM/C;
- Ensures that survivors have the right to pursue a civil suit against any party that aids, permits, or otherwise facilitates FGM/C;
- Excludes cultural or ritual reasons as a defense;
- Excludes parental or guardianship consent as a defense;
- Differentiates between gender-affirming surgeries and FGM/C procedures;
- Mandates the D.C. Department of Health to develop and disseminate FGM/C information to the public; additionally, the D.C. Department of Health must implement these materials as part of mandated reporters’ obligations.
We are thankful to our network of survivors, activists, advocates, and legislators who contributed to passing this bill. We want to thank Councilwoman Brooke Pinto for introducing it, as well as Councilmembers Matthew Frumin, Christina Henderson, Brianne K. Nadeau, Charles Allen, and Vincent C. Gray for co-introducing this bill.
While we celebrate the passing of this bill, it is critical to ensure that this law is enacted effectively. To that effort, the DMV Coalition to End FGM/C, founded in 2024, will stand united in support of this FGM/C legislation and commit to carrying out initiatives that continue to support legislative measures addressing FGM/C in the DMV area.
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