WeSpeakOut welcomes the action by Federal authorities in charging a 39-year old woman in Texas for transporting a minor girl out of the United States for FGM/C in 2016.

While the prevailing US Federal law was struck down in 2018 during the appeals process for Jumana Nagarwala in the Detroit, Michigan case, the transportation clause remains in place. This clause was introduced in 2013. The Badri case is the first in the US that has ever been brought under this clause.

On January 5, 2021 a new Federal STOP FGM Law was signed. This law is comprehensive and reestablishes the Federal law against FGM/C, yet it was not in place during the alleged 2016 crime. We believe this does not prevent the Federal Authorities from successfully prosecuting under the transportation clause.

We believe that every step of the chain that is instrumental in taking girls to cut them ought to be stopped. This prosecution is the first step in the right direction in eliminating FGM/C from our lives, yet we have a long way to go.