We are thrilled to announce that after six years of survivor-led organizing (including a Change.org petition), coalition-building, education, and community engagement, legislation addressing FGM/C has passed in Connecticut.
CT Senate Bill 259 was passed on April 21st in the Connecticut Senate and passed on Monday, April 27th in the House of Representatives. The bill will next go to Governor Lamont’s desk to be signed into law. With this piece of legislation, Connecticut will become the 42nd state to pass a law banning FGM/C in the United States.
This bill will do the following:
- Establishes FGM/C as a Crime in Connecticut: The bill classifies performing FGM/C on a minor as a felony and states that consent or claims of cultural significance are not valid defenses.
- Strengthens Court Procedures: The bill expands existing child protection safeguards in court proceedings involving FGM/C cases. It allows testimony to be given via closed-circuit television when necessary and allows a trusted adult to remain near the child during testimony.
- Protects Child Witness Competency: The bill ensures that child survivors of FGM/C are not automatically considered incompetent to testify because of their age.
- Creates Civil Remedies for Survivors: The bill allows survivors to bring civil actions against individuals who perform FGM/C.
This is a tremendous accomplishment for efforts to address FGM/C in the United States and reflects the dedication of advocates, activists, and survivors who continued to push this bill forward despite numerous setbacks.
We’d like to congratulate the Connecticut Coalition to End FGM/C, whose members have worked for the past six years to advance this legislation. Through community engagement, collaboration with legislators, and providing testimony, Coalition members remained committed to strengthening protections for girls and children at risk of FGM/C in Connecticut.
Coalition member and Sahiyo Governing Board President, Zehra Patwa, reflects on the importance of this law and the journey it took to make it possible:
“Six years have felt like a lifetime—years filled with waiting, hoping, and carrying stories that were too heavy to hold alone. But today, something profound has shifted. Today, Connecticut lawmakers chose to stand on the side of protection, dignity, and humanity. They chose to protect little girls from FGM/C—and my heart is full in a way words can barely capture.
My deepest thanks to Lieutenant Governor Susan Bysiewicz, and to Representatives Jillian Gilchrest and Nicole Klarides-Ditria. Your unwavering commitment over so many years has not only led to this moment, but has given survivors something so powerful: the feeling that we were seen, heard, and never forgotten.
To the extraordinary members of the Connecticut Coalition to End FGM/C—this victory belongs to you. Your compassion, persistence, and courage created space for survivors to find their voices, to share their truths, and to turn pain into purpose. Because of you, silence was broken, and change became possible.
This law is more than legislation—it is a promise. A promise that no more little girls will have to endure what so many of us have suffered. And for survivors, it offers something we have long deserved: a path toward justice, toward healing, and toward making things right.”
This moment is a tremendous victory for all advocates who have supported the bill to ensure that the promise of protection, dignity, and justice is finally realized, inspiring continued efforts across the nation.