41 States in the U.S. currently have laws against FGM/C. However, the level of protection available under these laws varies from state to state. This state laws map co-created by Equality Now and the U.S. End FGM/C Network is meant to be a resource for survivors, advocates, activists and government officials. It provides an overview of the key provisions under state laws on FGM/C; including the latest available data on the number of women and girls impacted by FGM/C in every state. 

 It is also a federal crime to perform FGM/C in the US or take a girl out of the country for the purpose of undergoing it, under the STOP FGM Act of 2020. But states have a significantly greater capacity to reach girls at risk and intervene to provide protection and support. State laws are crucial because they govern the activities of state-run institutions, including law enforcement and courts, healthcare, social services, and other programs. As such, they have a more direct impact on the day-to-day lives of people in their jurisdiction. Enacting state laws is only a first step, the laws need to be effectively implemented using a multi-sectoral approach and accompanied by programs for community education and training of frontline professionals (including healthcare providers, law enforcement etc). 

Please note that each state law varies greatly.  In some instances, certain laws  use harmful language that target vulnerable communities. The US End FGM/C Network and Equality Now support comprehensive, holistic laws that promote the prevention of FGM/C and do not further marginalize vulnerable communities, which is why this resource specifically highlights good practice provisions. 

Note: The figures of women and girls who have undergone or are at risk of FGM/C in each state is based on estimates released by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) in 2013. Updated data on estimates is urgently required. Additionally, these indirect estimates only take into account FGM/C prevalence among diaspora communities from countries where data on FGM/C prevalence is available from nationally representative surveys. They do not provide a true picture of the entire scale of the problem, since testimonies of survivors have shown that FGM/C is also happening in other communities which are not covered by these statistics such as those originating from a number of countries in Asia and the Middle-East; or even local Christian communities in the U.S.

This map was produced in collaboration between: