29th April 2026
Connecticut lawmakers pass bill to ban female genital mutilation
15 min read
Press conference at the Connecticut State Capitol, Hartford, CT, held in support of passing Senate Bill 259, April 27, 2026*
Landmark legislation strengthens protections for women and girls, marking a major step forward in efforts to end FGM in the United States.
Hartford, Connecticut, April 29, 2026: On Tuesday, April 28, Connecticut lawmakers voted unanimously to pass Senate Bill 259, introducing a state-level ban against female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) that will provide essential protections for thousands of survivors and girls at risk.
Bill 259 will establish the crime of female genital mutilation in Connecticut and set higher safeguards for girls, including:
Once Bill 259 is signed into law by Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont, there will be eight remaining U.S. states without a law explicitly banning FGM/C, namely Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, and New Mexico.
Over 2,500 women and girls have undergone or are at risk of FGM/C in Connecticut, making it the state with the largest at-risk population without existing legislation to ban, prevent, or protect survivors from FGM/C.
Anastasia Law, Legal Advisor for North America at Equality Now, exclaimed, “The unanimous passing of Senate Bill 259 is the culmination of six years of campaigning by survivors, advocates, and civil society organizations striving to make Connecticut the 42nd state to ban female genital mutilation/cutting.
“We are overjoyed that Connecticut is closing a critical legal gap. By criminalizing FGM/C, this law will bring meaningful protections for thousands of women and girls and strengthen access to justice for survivors.”
Bill 259 was introduced in February 2026 by Democratic State Rep. Jillian Gilchrest, following years of sustained advocacy by a broad coalition of survivor leaders, community groups, medical professionals, and human rights organizations.
On Monday, March 2, 2026, the state legislature held a public hearing to consider Bill 259, with survivors and women’s rights advocates campaigning to end FGM/C, describing the hearing as a decisive moment in a long-running effort to close dangerous legal gaps and prevent this ongoing form of gender-based violence.
Last week, Connecticut’s State Senate unanimously passed Bill 259, and a press conference at Connecticut’s State Capitol in Hartford was held on April 27, 2026, calling on lawmakers to commit to a future where no woman or girl is subjected to this harmful practice and to get the bill across the finish line. Alongside the press conference, an art installation was erected to honor the 2,600 women and girls in the state who are impacted by FGM/C. Those attending the press conference included Rep. Laurie Sweet, Rep. Kathy Kennedy, Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz, and Rep. Jillian Gilchrest.
Following the bill’s passage, survivor advocate Zehra Patwa acknowledged. “I’m overwhelmed with emotion and gratitude that Connecticut lawmakers have taken this powerful step to protect girls and women from FGM/C. As a survivor, this moment is deeply personal. It carries the weight of years of pain, resilience, and hope”.
“I am profoundly thankful to Susan Bysiewicz, Jillian Gilchrest, and Nicole Klarides-Ditria for their unwavering commitment and courage. Their steadfast support over so many years has helped turn what once felt impossible into reality,” Patwaadded.
Previously, Connecticut legislators had made six unsuccessful attempts to pass a law addressing FGM/C. Proposed bills in 2018, 2020, and 2021 aimed at prohibiting FGM/C or studying its prevalence did not progress beyond the committee stage, while in 2019, a bill was rejected by the State Senate. In 2024, a drafted bill failed to be introduced, and in 2025, a bill was never raised to the House floor for a vote during the legislative session.
Mariya Taher, co-founder of Sahiyo, said“After 6 years of advocacy, the Connecticut Coalition was finally able to pass the bill and make Connecticut the 42nd state to have a law against FGM/C. To be able to be in the space here at Women Deliver on the other side of the world, where we’re talking about gender equality and survivor leadership and transformative leadership, to just hear that the bill passed the House feels amazing.
“When I reflect on all the work that went into this Bill passage, all the workshops, all the trainings, all the testimony. I am just truly amazed at the persistence, resiliency, and mutual respect that allowed us to continue to work to advocate for this law.”.
FGM/C is a grave human rights violation that involves partially or completely removing, or causing other injury to female genitalia for non-medical reasons, causing severe lifelong physical and emotional trauma. Girls are typically subjected to FGM/C between infancy and age 18, often without anesthesia and occasionally resulting in fatal outcomes. FGM/C is also associated with complications during pregnancy and increased rates of maternal and infant mortality.
In March 2026, the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, the principal human rights body for the Americas, called on governments, including the US, to strengthen their responses to FGM/C, including through prevention, survivor support, and sustained investment, reinforcing the need for comprehensive, enforceable protections at the state level.
While current U.S. federal law prohibits FGM/C through the STOP FGM Act, recent proposals like Congressional Bill H.R. 3492 wrongly conflate FGM/C with gender-affirming care, and seek to criminalize gender-affirming care for minors by expanding a law explicitly designed to protect women and girls from FGM/C. This risks undermining the enforcement of anti-FGM/C protections for survivors across the nation.
Across the U.S., at least 577,000 women and girls are estimated to be at risk or affected by FGM/C. In passing S.B. 259, Connecticut is one step closer to aligning its legislation with international human rights standards.
Strong state-level laws, like Connecticut’s Senate Bill 259, are essential because state agencies and officials have far greater capacity than federal authorities to directly assist women and girls in local communities.
Bill 259 has been supported by the Connecticut Coalition to End FGM/C, a statewide alliance of organizations working to protect women and girls from this harmful practice and ensure survivor-centered justice. Coalition members include Equality Now, the U.S. End FGM/C Network, Sahiyo, the Connecticut Children’s Alliance, the Connecticut Commission on Women, Children, Seniors, Equity & Opportunity, and community-based advocates across the state.
END
For more information:
The Time Is Now: End Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting, An Urgent Need for a Global Response – Five Year Update,’ by Equality Now, The U.S. Network to End FGM/C, and the End FGM European Network.
Reporting on female genital mutilation – US factsheet, Equality Now
Ban on female mutilation gets a foothold in CT after 6 years, Hartford Courant, April 27, 2026
* Photographed at the press conference in support of Senate Bill 259, held on April 27, 2026, at Connecticut’s State Capitol, in Hartford, standing left to right:
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