By: Khushi Prakash
This blog post is part of a multi-part series that explores how Washington State is implementing Senate Bill 5453 and what these changes mean for communities, service providers, and survivors. Part One focuses on the foundations of the law and how Washington plans to develop training and community engagement strategies as part of its broader prevention efforts.
On April 20, 2023, Senate Bill 5453 was signed into law, strengthening protections against female genitalmutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in Washington State. The law allows survivors of FGM/C to file civil lawsuits against those who committed the act, allows for professional disciplinary action against healthcare providers who perform FGM/C on minors, classifies FGM/C as a form of child abuse, and makes its reporting mandatory. The law also establishes FGM/C as a criminal offense and sets specific statutes of limitations for prosecuting it.
Additionally, under section six of the bill, the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) requires an educational and prevention program on FGM/C to be created. Activities for the prevention program include raising public awareness about the health risks and the legal consequences of FGM/C, developing training for healthcare providers to identify and support those at risk, and partnering with state agencies and community organizations to prevent further acts from being committed. Section 6 is particularly important as it focuses on prevention, early intervention, and survivor support in relation to FGM/C.
To fulfill the community collaboration requirement of the bill, the Department of Health Injury and Violence Prevention (IVP), which is a section of Washington state’s DOH, announced a Request for Proposals (RFP) titled: “Prevention of and Response to Female Genital Cutting.” The RFP aimed to identify community-based organizations that had experience and knowledge regarding FGM/C, who could be consulted in order to create meaningful relationships and training regimens with survivors, impacted community members, representatives of state governments, and stakeholders working in healthcare. The RFP contract was awarded to three organizations: Mother Africa, Sahiyo, and The U.S. End FGM/C Network.
The training program that Washington is seeking to implement ensures that survivors and at-risk individuals receive safe and well-informed care. The main goals are to increase awareness throughout the healthcare, social work, and state agencies sectors, highlight the health impacts and legal protections of FGM/C, promote early intervention strategies, and allow these individuals to identify potential risk factors and respond in an appropriate manner. Additionally, the program hopes to build long-lasting trust between state agencies and high-risk communities.
Other states, such as Minnesota, Arkansas, Virginia, New York, and Michigan, have implemented the education and outreach components for their own FGM/C laws at various levels, including some states distributing educational information on FGM/C and/or short-term training curriculum and information for health care workers and law enforcement. All six states sought to build community partnerships, conduct outreach, and provide education; however, Washington is the first state to implement a program as comprehensively as it has, involving as many different stakeholders as possible. Nonetheless, Washington can use the lessons learned from other states to strengthen their program and ensure it is sustainable and community-driven.
We know that these training programs will ultimately be successful when healthcare providers can embed non-judgmental care and cultural humility into their interactions with at-risk individuals and survivors, while also learning to identify risk factors, recognize signs of FGM/C, and follow clear reporting and referral protocols. The same applies to law enforcement, educators, and other sectors involved in prevention and response. Success also means that communities have access to accurate and culturally relevant information, and that survivors feel safe and supported when seeking help. Long-lasting relationships between DOH, education, law enforcement, and community-based organizations need to be maintained, along with a sustainable funding model that allows for training, outreach, and survivor support efforts to continue.
