About A Half Million Women and Girls in the United States Estimated to Be at Risk of or Have Been Subjected to FGM/C

CDC published a report in 2016 estimating that 513,000 women and girls  in the United States were at risk of or may have been subjected to FGM/C  in 2012. Estimate does not include countries where it is known that  FGM/C is practiced, but for which there are no data. Protections Are Available through the U.S. Immigration System to Women and Girls at Risk of or Who Have Been Subjected to FGM/C; Investigations and Prosecutions Are Few

Women and girls at risk of or who have been subjected to FGM/C in their  home country may seek federal protection on that basis through avenues  in the U.S. immigration system. Law enforcement and child protection  officials we spoke with said this may be due, in part, to instances not  being reported. Federal Agencies and Others Provide Education and Assistance Related to FGM/C, but Gaps Exist and Federal Agencies Lack Documented Plans for Future Efforts

Federal agencies and others have provided education and assistance  related to FGM/C in immigrant communities, but such efforts made before  immigrants’ arrival in the United States are limited by the gaps in how  State makes FGM/C-related information available to certain visa  recipients. Nevertheless, several NIVs permit stays  in the United States for multiple years. As discussed previously, federal agencies have made efforts to increase  stakeholders’ awareness of FGM/C, and agency officials identified  additional activities they have planned for the near future. However, the agencies have not documented their previous and planned  education and outreach efforts. Since the  Department of State does not provide a fact sheet on FGM/C directly to  NIV recipients or to any visa recipients from countries where FGM/C is  commonly practiced but who apply elsewhere, these recipients may be  unaware of the health and legal consequences of FGM/C and choose to  participate in this practice. Absent a  documented plan for each agency’s education and outreach efforts, the  federal government may be unable to ensure that its activities to increase  awareness of FGM/C are meeting the needs of and communicated  effectively to external parties, such as key stakeholder groups, or that it is  making the best use of federal resources. Recommendations for Executive Action

To increase awareness of the health and legal consequences of FGM/C  among visa recipients, we recommend that the Secretary of State update  the Foreign Affairs Manual to require posts located in countries where FGM/C is commonly practiced to  directly provide information about FGM/C to nonimmigrant visa  recipients in the same manner as is done for immigrant visa  recipients; and posts located outside of the countries where FGM/C is commonly  practiced to directly provide information on FGM/C to immigrant and  nonimmigrant visa recipients who are nationals of countries where  FGM/C is commonly practiced. Appendix I: Scope and Methodology

In this report, we examine  1.  what is known about the number of women and girls in the United  States at risk of or who have been subjected to female genital  mutilation/cutting (FGM/C);  2.  the protections available and actions taken, if any, by federal and  selected state and local agencies to protect women and girls in the  United States at risk of or who have been subjected to FGM/C; and  3.  the extent to which federal agencies and others have taken action to  educate and assist immigrant communities and key stakeholders  about FGM/C. Specifically related to the asylum process, we spoke with officials from  the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) U.S. We also spoke with  officials from ICE regarding investigations. We also assessed federal  agency actions against the relevant standards for internal control in the  federal government.
Why GAO Did This Study

FGM/C comprises all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other harm to the female genitals for non-medical reasons. The rationale for FGM/C often includes cultural, religious, and social factors in families and communities. In the United States, women and girls believed to be most at risk of FGM/C are those from immigrant families from countries where FGM/C is practiced.
GAO was asked to review the federal response to address FGM/C in the United States. In this report, GAO examines (1) what is known about the number of women and girls at risk of or subjected to FGM/C, (2) the protections available and actions taken to protect women and girls, and (3) the extent to which actions are taken to educate and assist immigrant communities and key stakeholders. GAO analyzed documents and spoke to officials from five relevant federal agencies; spoke with officials from local law enforcement, health care, education, and social services sectors; and assessed agency actions against federal internal control standards.

What GAO Found

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that 513,000 women and girls in the United States were at risk of or had been subjected to female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in 2012, a threefold increase from its 1990 estimate. CDC attributes this change primarily to increased immigration from countries where FGM/C is practiced, rather than an increase in the occurrence of FGM/C. Agency estimates were not able to distinguish between those who have already been subjected to FGM/C and those who are at risk.
Women and girls at risk of or who have been subjected to FGM/C in their home country may seek federal protection in the United States through different avenues of the immigration process, and GAO found that there have been few U.S. investigations and prosecutions. According to Department of Homeland Security officials, protection is most commonly provided through the asylum process, where individuals must demonstrate that they have been persecuted or fear persecution in their home country on account of protected grounds such as religion or nationality. While FGM/C is a crime under federal and many state laws, law enforcement officials identified few investigations and prosecutions related to FGM/C. Officials said that this may be due, in part, to underreporting.
Federal agencies and others provide education and assistance regarding FGM/C, but gaps exist and agencies lack documented plans for future efforts. The Department of State (State) directly provides information on FGM/C in a fact sheet only to certain types of visa recipients who apply in countries where FGM/C is practiced. State does not provide the fact sheet to nonimmigrant visa recipients as these visas are for temporary stays; however, some of these visas permit stays in the United States for multiple years. In addition, State does not directly provide the fact sheet to visa recipients who are nationals of countries where FGM/C is common, but apply at posts in other countries. Visa recipients who do not directly receive the fact sheet may be unaware of the health and U.S. legal consequences of FGM/C. Federal agencies have made efforts to increase awareness of FGM/C among stakeholder groups, including hosting roundtables and developing educational materials. However, the agencies lack documented plans for future efforts. Internal controls state that agencies should establish plans and document activities. Absent this, the federal government may be unable to ensure that its activities meet the needs of and that it communicates effectively with external parties, such as key stakeholder groups.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that State provide information to additional visa recipients and that each federal agency document its domestic FGM/C awareness efforts. The agencies generally agreed with the recommendations; however, State disagreed with documenting its awareness efforts, noting that it is not responsible for domestic outreach and education. GAO maintains that the recommendation is valid as discussed in the report.