View source for Laws against FGM

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{{WikipediaQuote |URL=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_genital_mutilation#Legislation |title=Female genital Mutilation: Legislation}}

In September 2018, [[FGM]] was illegal in 22 of the 28 most FGM-prevalent countries in Africa.<ref name="28TM 2018">{{REFweb
 |url=https://www.28toomany.org/static/media/uploads/Law%20Reports/the_law_and_fgm_v1_(september_2018).pdf
 |title=The law and FGM. An overview of 28 African countries
 |publisher=28 Too Many
 |date=2018-09
 |accessdate=2020-05-02
 |page=22
}}</ref> Sierra Leone criminalized FGM in January 2019,<ref name="SLReuters">{{REFweb
 |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-leone-women-fgm/sierra-leone-bans-fgm-in-clampdown-on-secret-societies-idUSKCN1PJ1WH
 |title=Sierra Leone bans FGM in clampdown on secret societies
 |publisher=Reuters
 |date=2019-01-25
}}</ref> Sudan did so in May 2020.<ref name="SudanCNN">{{REFweb
 |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/01/africa/sudan-fgm-banned-intl/index.html
 |title=Sudanese government bans female genital mutilation
 |publisher=CNN
 |date=2020-05-01
}}</ref> Some Western countries, where FGM has not been traditionally practiced but where immigrants from traditionally FGM-practicing countries have moved to in the 20th and 21st century, have also criminalized FGM (12 countries as of November 2008).<ref name="CRR 2008">{{REFweb
 |url=https://www.reproductiverights.org/document/female-genital-mutilation-fgm-legal-prohibitions-worldwide
 |title=Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): Legal Prohibitions Worldwide
 |publisher=Center for Reproductive Rights
 |date=2008-11-12
 |accessdate=2020-05-02
}}</ref> In the USA, U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman declared the female genital mutilation ban unconstitutional in 2018.<ref name="USA2018">{{REFnews
 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/21/health/fgm-female-genital-mutilation-law.html/
 |title=Federal Ban on Female Genital Mutilation Ruled Unconstitutional by Judge
 |publisher=The New York Times
 |date=2018-11-21
 |accessdate=2021-09-21
}}</ref>

{| class="sortable wikitable"
|+ '''FGM legislation by country'''
! Country
! Status
! Since
! ! class="unsortable"| Notes
|-
| {{flag|Australia}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 1994–7<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || criminalized in 6/8 states as of November 2008.<ref name="CRR 2008"/>
|-
| {{flag|Belgium}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 2000<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of November 2008.<ref name="CRR 2008"/>
|-
| {{flag|Benin}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 2003<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Burkina Faso}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 1996<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Cameroon}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Canada}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 1997<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of November 2008.<ref name="CRR 2008"/>
|-
| {{flag|Central African Republic}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 1966<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Chad}} || {{CRecurring|Legal}} || || A 2002 bill banning FGM hasn't yet been enacted as of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Côte d’Ivoire}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 1998<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Cyprus}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 2003<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of November 2008.<ref name="CRR 2008"/>
|-
| {{flag|Denmark}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 2003<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of November 2008.<ref name="CRR 2008"/>
|-
| {{flag|Djibouti}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 1994<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Egypt}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 2008<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Eritrea}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 2007<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Ethiopia}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 2004<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|The Gambia}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Ghana}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 1994<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Guinea}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 1965<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || New law enacted in 2000.<ref name="CRR 2008"/> 
|-
| {{flag|Guinea-Bissau}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Italy}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 2005<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of November 2008.<ref name="CRR 2008"/>
|-
| {{flag|Kenya}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 2001<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Liberia}} || {{CRecurring|Legal}} || || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Mali}} || {{CRecurring|Legal}} || || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Mauritania}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 2005<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|New Zealand}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 1995<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of November 2008.<ref name="CRR 2008"/>
|-
| {{flag|Niger}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 2003<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Nigeria}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Norway}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 1995<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of November 2008.<ref name="CRR 2008"/>
|-
| {{flag|Senegal}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 1999<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Sierra Leone}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 2019 || criminalized in 2019.<ref name="SLReuters"/>
|-
| {{flag|Somalia}} || {{CRecurring|Legal}} || || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| ''{{flag|Somaliland}}''<ref>Somaliland is a self-proclaimed independent state and ''de facto'' functioning as such, but internationally recognized as part of Somalia.</ref> || {{CRecurring|Legal}} || || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|South Africa}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 2003<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of November 2008.<ref name="CRR 2008"/>
|-
| {{flag|South Sudan}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Spain}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 2003<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of November 2008.<ref name="CRR 2008"/>
|-
| {{flag|Sudan}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 2020 || criminalized in 2020.<ref name="SudanCNN"/>
|-
| {{flag|Sweden}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 1982<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || New law enacted in 1998.<ref name="CRR 2008"/>
|-
| {{flag|Tanzania}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 1998<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Togo}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 1998<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|Uganda}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || || As of September 2018.<ref name="28TM 2018"/>
|-
| {{flag|United Kingdom}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 1985<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || As of November 2008.<ref name="CRR 2008"/>
|-
| {{flag|United States}} || {{CMain|Illegal}} || 1996<ref name="CRR 2008"/> || Criminalized federally in 1996 and in 17/50 states (during 1994–2006) as of November 2008.<ref name="CRR 2008"/>
|-
| {{flag|United States}} || {{CRecurring|Legal}} || 1998 || As of September 2018.<ref name="USA2018"/>
|}

{{SEEALSO}}
* [[FGM]]

{{REF}}

[[Category:Law]]