Huge Increase in Girls Victimized by Genital Mutilation in U.S.

513,000 women ‘at risk’ or already victims, a three-fold jump since 1990

An estimated 513,000 women and girls are at risk or have already been subjected to female genital mutilation in the United States, with the number skyrocketing due to increased immigration from countries in the Middle East and North Africa, where the practice is common.

The State Department considers female genital mutilation—the partial or total removal of female genitalia for no medical reason—to be a form of gender-based violence. The practice is illegal in the United States.

The number of girls suffering from female genital mutilation has tripled in the U.S. since 1990, according to a report released by the Government Accountability Office on Monday.

The government places the blame on increased immigration from majority Muslim nations, where female genital mutilation is a common practice.

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