Globally, many girls face significant obstacles regarding education, nutrition, and legal rights. Among the most horrific challenges they endure is female genital mutilation, a brutal practice that affects the most vulnerable.
Growing up in Somalia, I was surrounded by a culture where this mutilation of young girls was considered routine. The likelihood of a girl undergoing this procedure is staggering—almost universal. The question isn’t if it will happen, but rather when.
Tragically, I wasn’t able to escape this fate, and the same goes for my friends, family, and community members.
To put an end to this horrific tradition, we need to openly acknowledge it. Female genital mutilation is a violent act against helpless children, causing severe complications like infections, incontinence, extreme pain during childbirth, and lifelong scars. For far too long, people have turned a blind eye to this, brushing it off as a “tradition” or “personal issue.” But, honestly, there’s nothing personal about such brutality.
I recall my first conversations with a Dutch organization about the experiences of girls like me after I moved to the West. Their expressions shifted from shock to anger, which eventually fueled a push for more awareness.
However, the unfortunate reality is that hundreds of thousands of girls in Europe still face the threat of this violence. Given the large communities that continue the practice, it’s not exactly surprising.
When I moved to the United States and became a citizen, I had hoped to leave that nightmare behind. Imagine my astonishment upon discovering that girls here were enduring the same horrors I thought I had escaped.
When I founded my organization nearly 20 years ago, my mission was quite clear: expose the atrocity of female genital mutilation and advocate for its eradication. We aimed to inform Americans about this egregious practice and ensure it never takes root in this country.
Sadly, the U.S. has not done nearly enough to offer protection to those at risk. Approximately 600,000 young girls and their families still engage in this cruel and unnecessary practice. That’s why I’m urging President Trump to take decisive action. He should sign an executive order to prioritize the end of female genital mutilation nationally.
We are working towards criminalizing this practice in all 50 states, but often our efforts are met with endless debates. As of now, 41 states and the District of Columbia have expressly prohibited it.
Thanks to relentless advocacy from survivors and activists, Congress passed legislation against this practice, which President Trump signed into law during his first term. This marked a pivotal moment and sent a strong message to those supporting the practice: advocates for vulnerable girls will not abandon them.
However, an executive order could broaden these efforts. It could close existing loopholes and empower federal agencies to investigate and prosecute those who subject girls to this practice.
Because female genital mutilation leaves serious emotional and physical scars, such a directive could also allocate resources to provide survivors with necessary medical and psychological support.
We also need mechanisms for detection and enforcement to prevent this practice and identify victims who may be silenced by cultural and familial pressures. This could involve incorporating screening into routine pediatric check-ups.
Some might argue that criminalizing this practice could stigmatize certain communities, like the Somali community, which is tied to my own life experiences. However, the pressure on parents within these groups is immense, and the risks to girls are way too high. Legal consequences can help mitigate that risk.
That said, it’s essential to clarify this: any cultural or religious practice that intentionally harms children must be confronted. No tradition can justify cruelty. A girl’s body is hers alone; it shouldn’t be a pawn in family honor or cultural symbolism.
I underwent female genital mutilation myself, and I still carry the reminders of that trauma. But I cannot stand by and let another girl in America face what I endured in Somalia.
President Trump has the power to change that. He has made bold moves before; by signing this executive order, he can solidify his legacy as a leader who took significant strides in ensuring justice and eliminating female genital mutilation in America.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali is a researcher at the Hoover Institution and founder of the AHA Foundation. She was born in Somalia and now resides in the U.S.
