Connecticut misses clear opportunity to ban FGM/C within its state: We’re still advocating

Despite years of advocacy and support from survivors, community leaders, and civil society organizations, the Connecticut Senate failed to raise Senate Bill 1438 for a vote before the 2025 legislative session ended.

We are deeply disappointed.

Connecticut remains one of just two New England states, and one of only nine in the entire country, without a law explicitly banning FGM/C. This legal gap leaves women and girls across the state, and those transported from neighboring states, without sufficient protection from the practice under state law.

This year’s version of the bill was the most comprehensive to date. Thanks to sustained advocacy, SB 1438  was strengthened to reflect a number of best practices in prevention, protection, and justice. It would have:

• Prohibited FGM/C under state law
• Created a civil right of action for survivors
• Extended the statute of limitations for civil cases to 30 years after a survivor turned 18
• Removed parent-child immunity in civil action

The path to survivor justice continues

These provisions, though still lacking elements linked to education and outreach, reflect years of consultation with survivors, legal experts, and human rights advocates, and they remain an urgent need. And this year, the Connecticut legislature again failed to protect its community from this grave human rights violation.

But we are not giving up.

We know from experience that systemic change is rarely swift. It requires persistence, courage, and a community of people who refuse to stay silent. That community showed up this year: writing, speaking, testifying, organizing, and demanding change. And we will continue to show up next session, and for as long as it takes.

To the survivors and advocates who led the charge, including our partners, the US End FGM/C Network, Sahiyo, and the members of the Connecticut Coalition to End FGM/C, we see you, we are with you, and we will keep going. Your voices have reshaped the conversation in Connecticut. 

The road ahead may be longer than we hoped, but we remain committed to ending FGM/C in every state and to ensuring that all women and girls are protected. We hope that a comprehensive bill will be introduced in 2026 and swiftly passed by the Connecticut legislature!

Onward.