North America
About FGC
Female genital cutting (FGC) is not indigenous to North America, however girls and women in many diaspora, refugee and migrant populations are known to be affected by the practice. The type of FGC practised by communities in the USA and Canada is likely to be varied, depending on the traditions within a particular ethnic group or country of heritage.
It is estimated that over 500,000 women in the US are living with FGC or are at risk.
Source: The Guardian
Progress and challenges
There is an active movement of campaigners and activists in the US working to raise awareness and spark dialogue to end FGC.
Canada is one of the global powers that has shown commitment to supporting abandonment of FGC, and in 2018 invested CAD $3 million into ending the practice in Benin.
Lack of research and data on FGC prevalence across North America remains a challenge to supporting abandonment among communities, as the scale of the issue is unknown.
Find out more via our country profiles.
