I hope they enforce it too but either way it is a first step.

i have the sneaking suspicion that this will only make cut women more valuable. to their fathers.

So it's good news about Nigeria but we have our own problem still to deal with.

http://www.equalitynow.org/sites/default/files/EN_FAQ_FGM_in_US.pdf

The Population Reference Bureau also conducted a nationwide prevalence study on FGM, released in February 2015 that estimates up to 507,000 women and girls living in the U.S. are at risk of or have undergone FGM, a significant from the 2000 study that estimated 227,887 women and girls were at risk.

In 1996, Congress passed a law making it illegal to perform FGM in the U.S. However, every summer or during school holidays, girls from FGM-affected immigrant communities in the U.S. are faced with the real and imminent threat of being subjected to FGM while on vacation in their parents’ country of origin. Although the 1996 federal law banned FGM in the U.S., it did not address the act of transporting girls overseas to be subjected to FGM. On April 26, 2010 Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-NY) and Congresswoman Mary Bono Mack (R-CA) introduced The Girls’ Protection Act (H.R. 5137), bipartisan legislation co-sponsored by over 138 Members of Congress, and supported by Equality Now, to address this gaping loophole. Such laws exist in several European countries that have substantial immigrant populations from FGM-affected communities and can act as an effective deterrent to FGM. Though The Girls’ Protection Act did not pass in 2010, The Girls Protection Act (H.R. 2221) was re-introduced by Representatives Crowley and Mack in June 2011. In November 2011 Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) introduced a similar bill, The Girls Protection Act (S. 1919), in the Senate. Equality Now actively worked with Congressman Crowley and Senator Reid to introduce this legislation and advocate for its passage. In December 2012, Congress passed the FGM travel provision, ‘Transport for Female Genital Mutilation’ as Section 1088 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2013 (H.R. 4310); it was signed into law by President Obama in January 2013. This law amended the US Code; it is now illegal to knowingly transport a girl out of the U.S. for the purpose of inflicting FGM.

18 U.S. Code § 116(d) states:
“Whoever knowingly transports from the United States and its territories a person in foreign commerce for the purpose of [female genital mutilation] with regard to that person that would be a violation of subsection (a) if the conduct occurred within the United States, or attempts to do so, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 5 years, or both.”

Enforcement is going to be tough.

When China outlawed footbinding, social mores were already changing among men and women with exposure to Western education, usually via Christian missionaries, but also from upper class men being educated abroad. But that was almost entirely in large coastal cities, and in rural areas it continued into the Communist era, although the prior government tried to eradicate it. The Communists stamped it out. Soldiers were sent out to the villages to do foot inspections, girls' feet were unbound, and adults brought to account.

Unfortunately FGM can't be undone, but adults responsible for this heinous crime can be punished as a deterrent to others.

How could anyone not want to pass this?

Read the post I responded to, which was referring to US bills, not the Nigerian one. The 2010 bill did not pass. The 2011 bill did.

About time, I hope they can enforce it, but it's a start.

Still, it's a huge step in the right direction. Just let us not assume this is a done deal and move on, it's not.

We've made major gains in awareness and been given some serious recognition on the issue. This is good, no it's great! Just don't think it's over yet. It's a cultural issue which means there are still years of work to make sure it's enforced and that the population is educated.

My thanks to everyone who has paid attention to the matter and put pressure on the officials, and will continue to do so in the future. You're all to be commended for your help!

I hope it is enforced. A law is only one when truly enforced.

It will require a lot more work to enforce it. Changing cultural mores is very difficult.

I applaud the efforts of those who made this a criminal procedure. Thanks for posting one_voice.

Agree with others here, enforcement will be the critical part.