What is being done to stop it?

The United Nations has declared that FGM is a violation of the human rights of girls and women. The United States is calling for the complete elimination of FGM through policies that include education, the empowerment of women, and enforcement of laws against FGM. The performance of FGM on a person under the age of 18 was made a crime in the United States under section 116 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, and 16 states have laws outlawing FGM .

Most countries where FGM is commonly performed do not have laws that prohibit FGM. If they do have such laws, the enforcement is often weak. There are a number of countries where immigrants are performing FGM, such as Sweden, the United Kingdom, Norway, Australia and New Zealand. Those countries have passed laws that outlaw the practice of FGM.

Due to the aspect of FGM as a cultural tradition, some organizations such as Amnesty International want to replace physical FGM with symbolic ceremonies. Instead of ignoring the strong cultural ties to the procedure and eliminating the part of FGM that is used as a rite of passage, Amnesty and other groups are advocating the redefining of the “rites in a way that promotes positive traditional values while removing the danger of physical and psychological harm. ”

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