Communities across Washington are impacted by female genital mutilation or cutting, a form of gender-based violence. The Department of Health (DOH) is addressing global issues locally through efforts to prevent and respond to female genital mutilation or cutting (FGM/C).
With partnership and leadership from survivors and community organizations, DOH is strengthening state-level prevention and response coordination and working to develop programming to support communities affected by this practice.
About female genital mutilation or cutting
FGM/C is when parts of a person’s female genitalia, or private parts, are cut or removed without medical need. This practice is mostly carried out on young girls between infancy and age 15 and it is a violation of human rights.
According to the World Health Organization, more than 230 million people alive today have undergone FGM/C primarily, but not exclusively, in countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.
FGM/C in the U.S. and Washington
This practice impacts many communities across the nation and locally.
- A 2016 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than half a million women in the U.S. are at risk of or have experienced FGM/C (NIH). The study focused on 32 countries were FGM/C is most frequently practiced.
- Washington is one of the 10 U.S. states with the highest population at risk of FGM/C. In our state, approximately 25,000 girls and women are living with or at risk of FGM/.
- The Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area has the 5th highest rate of adults and children at risk in the U.S.
A 2020 Equity Now report indicates that FGM/C has been documented in over 92 countries, so the 2016 CDC case study is a low estimate of the true numbers of those at risk.
How Washington is Taking Action
Formed in 2022, the WA Coalition to End FGM/C is a survivor-led, community-centered group, that successfully advocated for state legislation in 2023 to prevent and respond to FGM/C.
Washington is the 41st state to pass legislation against FGM/C and DOH is partnering with community-based organizations to begin putting that legislation into action.
These include:
- Establishing an education program for the prevention of FGM/C.
- Developing recommendations for strategies and methodologies to effectively train health care providers about FGM/C prevention and response.
- Developing policies and procedures to promote coordinated responses among state-level agencies and with impacted communities.
Community-centered Planning and Implementation
Staff in DOH’s Injury and Violence Prevention Section are partnering with organizations to ensure each aspect of the legislation is culturally responsive and advances racial and health equity. Starting in March 2024, with a contract supported by the legislation’s funding, Mother Africa, and two national coalitions, Sahiyo and the US End FGM/C Network, have been leading planning, engagement, and extensive collaboration with impacted communities, state- and community-level organizations, and other interested people and groups.
Learn more about FGM/C, the project advisory committee, trainings, and resources on our project website FGM/C Prevention and Response in Washington state.