By: Katie Bai
Female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) is a harmful social norm involving the partial or total removal of female-assigned external genitalia or other injury to the female-assigned genital organs for non-medical reasons. Globally, over 230 million girls and women have undergone FGM/C. FGM/C has a long history in the United States, and currently, over half a million women and girls in the US are believed to be at risk or have undergone it.
In 2019, during its 66th legislative session, Montana introduced a legislative draft for a bill titled "An Act Prohibiting and Preventing Female Genital Mutilation". This proposed legislation is aimed at prohibiting and preventing FGM/C within the state by criminalizing the harmful practice. The bill was sponsored by Congressman (now Senator) Daniel Zolnikov. The key provisions of the bill are as follows:
- Definition of FGM/C: The bill sought to define FGM/C based on the World Health Organization’s definition and encompassed any procedure involving partial or total removal of the female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons.
- Community Education and Outreach: Recognizing the importance of awareness, the bill proposed the creation of programs for community education and outreach regarding FGM/C. The proposed programs included information about the “potential health risks and emotional trauma inflicted by the practice of FGM/C, the resources available to address FGM/C, and the state's criminal penalties for committing FGM/C. These programs were recommended for the Office of Public Instruction, the Office of the Attorney General, health care providers, educators, child protection specialists, community leaders, resettlement agencies, and other nonprofit organizations dedicated to preventing female genital mutilation and protecting and assisting survivors of female genital mutilation.
- Specialized Services for Victims: The legislation aimed to ensure access to specialized services for survivors of FGM/C, including shelter, medical care, and counseling.
- Criminalization: The bill sought to criminalize the act of performing FGM/C when not medically necessary, with proposed penalties including imprisonment in the state prison for a term of not less than 2 years or more than 10 years, and a fine of not more than $50,000, or both fine and imprisonment.
Despite these comprehensive measures, the bill did not advance past the drafting stage and was never formally introduced to the legislature. There is also limited information about how these legal efforts to end FGM/C in Montana began or who led them.
As of 2025, Montana remains one of the few states without specific legislation criminalizing FGM/C. However, other states that previously lacked such laws have made significant progress this year to prevent the harmful practice. This year, Connecticut introduced a bill on FGM/C; additionally, Washington D.C. passed comprehensive legislation in late 2024 that includes provisions for education initiatives, civil remedies for survivors, and criminalizing FGM/C.
While Montana has made efforts to address FGM/C through proposed legislation, the absence of enacted laws leaves a gap in the protection of women and girls from this human rights violation. Continued advocacy and legislative action are essential to ensure that FGM/C is comprehensively addressed in the state. If anyone has additional information about legislation or advocacy surrounding FGM/C in Montana, please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.!