Bill Banning Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Massachusetts Signed by Governor Baker

Senator Eldridge championed FGM ban bill in Judiciary Committee as Senate chair.

Boston, MA – Governor Charlie Baker signed An Act relative to the penalties for the crime of female genital mutilation (FGM) into law on August 6th. The bill, filed by Senator Joe Boncore (D-Winthrop), and Reps. Natalie Higgins (D-Leominister), Jay Livingstone (D- Norwood) and Brad Jones (R-North Reading) prohibits the practice of female gentital mutilation on minors in Massachusetts, and establish punishment and fines for those who practice FGM or  remove a child from the Commonwealth for the purpose of carrying out this practice. FGM is internationally recognized as a human rights violation, has no health benefit, and is dangerous and painful. 

“I am proud to have prioritized reporting out this bill favorably from the Judiciary Committee, with House Chairwoman Claire Cronin (D-Easton),” said State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton). “I want to praise Senator Boncore and Representatives Higgins, Livingstone and Jones for filing and championing the bill, and the FGM Coalition for advocating for the legislation. I’m deeply grateful to survivors for telling their harrowing stories about why Massachusetts needs to ban this horrible practice.”

This law also requires the creation of education and prevention programs for communities with females who are at a high risk of this abuse, as well as the creation of interagency partnerships directed towards prevention. 

“By passing this legislation to ban female genital mutilation, the Senate has stood up to clearly denounce gender-based violence and affirm our commitment to the health and safety of women and girls across the Commonwealth,” said Senator Boncore. “The Senate’s advocacy and testimonies of survivors including Mariya Taher, was critical in moving this bill forward. Its resilience and commitment to ensuring that not one more girl suffers is admirable and appreciated. Medical experts have agreed that female genital mutilation has no basis in medical purposes or benefits; it is a method used to control women’s anatomy. By criminalizing female genital mutilation, we tell survivors that they are heard, and we tell girls and women that they are protected from this abuse.”

"I am thankful to work with so many courageous survivors and advocates to ban FGM/C in the Commonwealth," said Rep. Higgins, a former Rape Crisis Counselor at Pathways for Change in Worcester County. "I am hopeful that establishing this new law will empower survivors to come forward, so that we can continue to work together to eradicate this form of sexual violence from our communities." 

“The passage of this bill will protect at-risk women and girls by banning female genital mutilation in Massachusetts,” said Representative Claire Cronin, House Chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary. “I was proud to work with my co-chair Senator Jamie Eldridge to report this bill favorably out of committee.”

“This new law is the culmination of many months of perseverance and hard work by countless advocates who have been working tirelessly to ban FGM and provide support to its victims,” said Representative Jones. “I’m proud to have worked on this bipartisan effort to implement critical safeguards that will protect some of the Commonwealth’s youngest and most vulnerable residents.”

Massachusetts is now the 39th state in the country to pass a law criminalizing female genital mutilation.

For details on the final bill, please go to https://malegislature.gov/Bills/191/H4606.

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