By Hiromi Nishida

At Sahiyo, we aim to address all facets of female genital cutting (FGC) at the global, national, state, and local levels; our mission is not only about ending FGC, but also about contributing to a broader culture of healing and healthy expression of female sexuality, autonomy, and strength. 

FGC, also known as female genital mutilation (FGM), involves the removal of parts or all of the female external genitalia for non-medical reasons. The harmful practice ranges from cutting the tip of the clitoris to removing the inner and outer labia and, in some communities, stitching the labia nearly closed. Regardless of the physical type, all forms of FGC are harmful. Survivors of FGC can face ongoing physical, emotional, and mental health issues tied back to their experiences with FGC. 

While the federal law, Strengthening the Opposition to Female Genital Mutilation Act 2020 (the STOP FGM Act, HR 6100), criminalizes FGC, state law protections provide added protections to ensure that all children are safe from the practice and that survivors can find support in their healing.

With that in mind, Sahiyo is introducing “Know Your Rights”, a new resource which will serve as an access point for those at risk/survivors of FGC to understand legal information regarding FGC and the law for their state. This document includes links for resources, such as where to find further clarification on the law, and support information for survivors, from support groups, statistics, health resources, and so much more. 

The ‘Know Your Rights’ resource is intended to be easily viewable and support individuals in finding the resources they need to support their health and healing, while also ensuring they know their legal rights in their state. 

We hope you’ll review these important documents and that they can be of use to you. 

If you have information about additional resources for FGC survivors in your state, or want to learn more about Sahiyo’s policy work, please contact us at info@sahiyo.org.