What are the laws regarding FGC?
• The United States. There is a Federal law that makes the practice of FGC on anyone younger than 18 years of age illegal within this country. It is a felony punishable by fines or up to a 5-year prison term. Some argue that such sanctions only force young women to return to their homeland where the surgery may not be performed in sanitary or safe conditions. As more people from cultures practicing FGC come to Western nations, this controversy has grown. • Internationally. International health organizations and women’s rights advocates generally believe that lasting change towards FGC can only take place with the support of the governments and local communities within those countries affected. Pressure from outside those countries has little chance for success if there is no educational and legal support from within their borders.
