How President Trump can end female genital mutilation in the United States

All over the world, girls struggle to access education, proper nutrition, legal rights, and more. The most unfortunate among them become victims of one of the most brutal practices imaginable – female genital mutilation.

I was born into a world where mutilation of young girls was not the exception but the norm. In Somalia, where I grew up, girls are almost certain to be subjected to FGM – 98 out of every 100 girls are. It’s not a question of if, but when.

I did not escape this fate, nor did my family, friends, colleagues, neighbors or anyone else in our community.

To end this practice, we must first call it what it is. Female genital mutilation is violence against the most vulnerable groups, children. It causes infection, urinary incontinence, unbearable pain during childbirth, and leaves scars that never heal. For too long, the world has looked the other way, dismissing it as a “tradition” or a “private matter.” But there is nothing special about the brutality.

When I first came to the West, I remember speaking with Dutch organizations about what happened to girls like me. I saw the shock spread across their faces. That shock turned into anger, and anger became a call for awareness.

However, hundreds of thousands of young girls across Europe remain at risk of being cut. Given the size and prevalence of communities that practice female genital mutilation, this reality is unfortunately not surprising.

But when I immigrated to the United States and became a proud citizen, I thought I had left this nightmare behind me. Imagine my disbelief when I found out that American girls were suffering the same abuse I had escaped.

When I founded my organization nearly twenty years ago, one of its core missions was clear from the beginning: to expose this cruelty and fight for its abolition. Our goal was to educate Americans about this horrific practice and urge them to ensure it never takes hold in the United States.

However, it is unfortunate for us that the United States has failed to provide adequate protection and support to approximately 600,000 young girls whose families and communities continue to engage in this brutal, inhumane, and completely unnecessary practice. That’s why I’m calling on President Trump to take the next bold step: sign an executive order that makes ending FGM in America a true national priority.

We are working to criminalize female genital mutilation in all 50 states. However, this effort is often met with endless discussions and endless excuses. To date, 41 states and the District of Columbia have explicitly banned the practice.

Thanks to the tireless work of activists and survivors, Congress passed the Stop FGM Act of 2020, which President Trump signed into law during his first term. This was a turning point, sending a clear message to those promoting the practice that advocates for vulnerable girls were not abandoning them to their fate.

But the executive order could go further. It can close existing loopholes and enable federal agencies to investigate, prosecute, and prosecute those who might expose young girls to this practice.

Because FGM leaves deep physical and emotional scars, such an executive order could also help direct resources toward providing survivors with the medical and psychological support they need.

We must also create a detection and enforcement mechanism to deter this practice and identify victims whose voices are silenced due to family and cultural pressures. This can include incorporating screenings into routine pediatric visits.

Some might argue that criminalizing the practice may stigmatize certain communities, such as the Somali community responsible for my own experience. There are others as well, where the spread is global, including the Egyptian and Sudanese communities.

The pressures on parents in these groups and the risks this poses for girls are enormous. Only legal accountability can help reduce this risk.

However, we must say it clearly: religious or cultural practices that intentionally and brutally harm children must be confronted. No tradition can justify torture. A girl’s body does not belong to her father, her family, or her community. Her integrity is not a symbol of tradition, not an adornment of family honor, not a site of control. It belongs to her alone.

I survived FGM, and I carry its scars with me. But I refuse to allow another girl in America to bear what she did in Somalia.

Trump has the power to stop it. He actually acted where others hesitated. By signing an executive order, he can finish the job and history will remember him as the leader who made the pursuit of justice and ending female genital mutilation in America part of his legacy.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali is the founderAHA FoundationHe is a research fellow at the Hoover Institution. She was born in Somalia before becoming an American citizen.