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Regional Prevalence

FGM/C is prevalent among some diaspora communities in Canada and the USA.  

Anti-FGM/C legislation has been passed in both Canada (1997) and the USA (1996). A 2012 report estimated that 513,000 girls and women in the USA were at risk of FGM/C or its consequences. The number of women and girls at risk of FGM varies widely across the States. (Source: Population Reference Bureau, 2013.)

Regional Prevalence

Highest Prevalence

Available data suggest that the highest prevalence of FGM/C in the United States is in the states of Washington, California, Texas, Wisconsin, New York, Virginia, New Jersey and Washington D.C.



African Diaspora

Many of the communities who practice FGM/C in North America are African diaspora from Somalia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Sudan.

Legislation

FGM/C is illegal in the United States and Canada.

Lack of Data

There is limited current data on prevalence and the number of girls at risk in North America.

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