Around the world, girls struggle for access to education, proper nutrition, legal rights and more. And the most unfortunate among them become victims of one of the most brutal practices imaginable – female genital mutilation.
I was born into a world where mutilation of little girls was not the exception but the norm. In Somalia, where I grew up, the chances of a girl being cut are almost certain –There are 98 out of every 100The question is not if but when.
I did not escape that fate, and neither did my family, friends, classmates, neighbors or anyone else in our community.
To end this practice, we first need to call it what it is. Female genital mutilation is violence against the most vulnerable – children. It causes infections, incontinence, excruciating pain during delivery and leaves scars that never heal. For too long, the world has dismissed it as “tradition” or a “personal matter.” But there is nothing personal about vandalism.
When I first came to the West, I remember talking to Dutch organizations about what happened to girls like me. I saw shock spread across their faces. That shock turned into anger, and the anger became a call to raise awareness.
Yet millions of little girls across Europe remain at risk of being bitten. Given the size and prevalence of communities practicing female genital mutilation, this reality is sadly no surprise.
But when I moved to America and proudly became a citizen, I believed I had left that nightmare behind. Imagine my disbelief when I learned that American girls were suffering the same abuse I had fled.
when i founded my organization Nearly 20 years ago, one of its main missions was clear from the beginning: to expose this cruelty and fight for its eradication. Our goal was to educate Americans about this horrific practice and urge them to ensure it never takes root in the U.S.
Yet, to our shame, the US has failed to provide adequate security and supportapproximately 600,000 young girlsWhose families and communities still engage in this cruel, inhumane and completely unnecessary practice. That’s why I’m calling on President Trump to take the next bold step: signing an executive order that makes ending female genital mutilation in America a true national priority.
We are working to criminalize female genital mutilation in all 50 states. Yet this effort is often met with endless debates and endless excuses. As yet, 41 states And the District of Columbia has explicitly outlawed the practice.
Thanks to the tireless work of activists and survivors, Congress passed it stop fgm act In 2020, which was signed by President Trump during his first term. This was a turning point, sending a clear message to those promoting the practice that advocates for vulnerable girls have not abandoned them to their fate.
But an executive order could go further. It could close existing loopholes and empower federal agencies to investigate, pursue, and prosecute those who would subject young girls to this practice.
Because female genital mutilation leaves deep physical and emotional wounds, such an executive order could also help direct resources toward providing needed medical and psychological support to survivors.
We must also establish a detection and enforcement mechanism to stop this practice and identify victims who are silenced due to family and cultural pressure. This may include incorporating screening into routine pediatric visits.
Some may argue that criminalizing the practice could stigmatize certain communities, such as the Somali community which accounts for my own experience. There are others where its practice is universal, including Egyptian and Sudanese communities.
The pressure on parents and the risks to girls in these groups are immense. Only legal accountability can help reduce that risk.
Nevertheless, we must say this clearly: religious or cultural practices that deliberately and cruelly harm children must be confronted. No tradition can ever justify tyranny. A girl’s body does not belong to her father, her family or her community. His integrity is not a symbol of tradition, not an ornament of family honor and not a locus of control. It is his alone.
I survived female genital mutilation, and I carry its scars. But I refuse to believe that any other girl in America should have to go through what I did in Somalia.
Trump has the power to stop it. He has already acted where others would have hesitated. By signing an executive order, he can get the job done and be remembered as the leader who made demanding justice and ending female genital mutilation in America part of his legacy.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is the founderAHA Foundation and a research fellow at the Hoover Institution. He was born in Somalia before becoming a US citizen.
