Washington, D.C
Washington D.C. Has a Key Opportunity to End Female Genital Mutilation, Protecting Thousands – Equality Now
By Anastasia Law, Program Officer for North America, Equality Now
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a serious violation of the rights of women and girls, yet this issue has long been ignored in the United States capital, Washington D.C.(District of Columbia). Currently, there is no specific law against FGM in the D.C. But this could soon change when The Female Genital Mutilation Prohibition Act of 2023, passed by the Council of the District of Columbia, is signed into law in the coming days. The Bill seeks to prevent FGM within Washington D.C. by holding those who knowingly perform or consent to FGM on any individual accountable.
FGM persists in Washington D.C.
According to 2013 estimates by the Population Reference Bureau, 51,411 women and girls have undergone or are at risk of FGM in Washington D.C. This staggering figure, based solely on reported FGM prevalence data in diaspora communities, is over a decade old, further highlighting the urgent need for updated statistics and action.
Although awareness of FGM often centers on immigrant communities, this narrative overlooks its occurrence in other groups, including in Christian communities within the U.S.
FGM has lifelong impacts on women and girls
FGM is internationally recognized as a serious human rights violation, constituting torture and an extreme form of discrimination against women and girls, which involves the partial or total removal of, or other injury to, external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. It is important to note, however, that FGM should not be conflated with gender-affirming care.
FGM can cause a range of immediate and long-term health problems, including hemorrhaging, chronic infections, infertility, childbirth complications, emotional trauma, and sexual dysfunction. In some instances, FGM can result in death and is linked to higher rates of maternal and infant mortality.
At least 513,000 women and girls are estimated to have undergone or be at risk of FGM in the US, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Washington D.C. primed to protect its women and girls
The Female Genital Mutilation Prohibition Act of 2023, known to legislators as B25-0247, was first introduced in 2023. This legislation seeks to:
- Prohibit “any procedure performed for non-medical purposes that involves partial or total removal of, or other injury to, the external female genitalia
- Enact criminal penalties against those who perform FGM and who facilitate the act, including parents or guardians who consent to it
- Penalize “vacation cutting,” the term for taking individuals out of Washington D.C. for the purpose of undergoing FGM
- Provide survivors the right to pursue civil remedies
- Explicitly exclude gender-affirming care from its scope
In addition to addressing the act of FGM itself, the bill emphasizes education and community outreach—essential components for the sustainable implementation and eradication of this harmful practice.
Limits to the federal law against FGM
Performing FGM in the US or taking a girl out of the country for the purpose of being cut is a federal crime. However, this alone is not enough to protect women and girls in every state. Legislation outlawing FGM at the state level is crucial because states have a significantly greater capacity than federal authorities to directly assist women and girls.
State laws govern local police, healthcare, and social services, the criminal justice system, and schools. These laws enable local governments to raise awareness about FGM within local communities, provide direct support to survivors and those at risk, and investigate and prosecute cases with greater efficiency.
Recognizing these gaps, Equality Now, the US End FGM/C Network, and partners highlighted these concerns in a 2023 submission to the United Nations Human Rights Committee, The submission highlighted the US’s failure to protect women and girls within its borders from FGM and other human rights violations.
The Committee subsequently recommended the US government ensure effective implementation of its federal law- the Stop FGM Act of 2022 (also known as Strengthening the Opposition to Female Genital Mutilation Act of 2020) – and encouraged states to pass comprehensive legislation that prohibits all forms of FGM. This underscores the need for robust, state-level legal frameworks that can address the issue at its roots while supporting survivors on a local level.
Washington D.C. must join other states to protect the human rights of its residents
On December 15, 2024, B25-0247 – Female Genital Mutilation Prohibition Act of 2023, is expected to be enacted into law, representing a crucial opportunity to protect the human rights of women and girls in Washington D.C. and setting a powerful example for other states, particularly neighboring Maryland and Virginia, where gaps in legislation remain.
The Bill’s provisions on “vacation cutting”–traveling abroad to perform FGM/–offer a model for future laws and provide an opportunity for other states to use the bill’s language to strengthen existing FGM law. The bill’s application to adults as well as minors, its explicit distinction between gender-affirming care and FGM, and its emphasis on survivor-centered remedies reflect best practices in addressing this human rights violation.
Addressing the legal, social, and educational dimensions of FGM, will help to ensure that future generations are free from this harmful practice. It is imperative that the remaining 8 states and jurisdictions in the US without laws prohibiting FGM follow suit, affirming a collective commitment to the human rights of women and girls in the US. As this bill becomes law, we are hopeful that it inspires continued action and implementation to combat and eradicate FGM for all.
WASHINGTON (7News) — The Catholic archbishop of Washington, D.C., Cardinal Robert McElroy, on Wednesday removed a well-known priest as an exorcist of the archdiocese after he made public comments suggesting that UFO sightings were the work of demons.
McElroy said the archdiocese also was cutting ties with the St. Michael Center for Spiritual Renewal, a Washington-based nonprofit headed by the priest, Monsignor Stephen Rossetti.
The archbishop said Rossetti’s statements “linking UFOs to demonic presence and the Center’s recent use of social media gravely undermine the Church’s very precise teaching on the devil, demons and exorcism.”
“There’s a danger here,” Rossetti said in a May 29 video posted on his Facebook page addressing UFO sightings and the existence of aliens. “As an exorcist I wanted to raise that danger. And that is that demons like to hide. … They don’t want us to know what they’re doing because they’re more effective when we don’t realize it.”
“They can kind of get into your head, you know, and manipulate things in the world to influence us to do evil.”
“It’s my personal belief that probably many if not most of these UFO sightings are in fact demons,” Rossetti added.
Rossetti also said that people can be good Catholics and believe there’s life on other planets, though he does not personally believe life exists elsewhere.
In a statement posted on the St. Michael Center website, Rossetti said he was saddened by the action of the archdiocese.
“I ask forgiveness for any ways that I have not been faithful to the teachings of the Church’s Magisterium, particularly in the cited video on ‘aliens and the demonic,’” he said. “I believe it is of the utmost importance to be obedient to the Church and I will continue to endeavor to subject all that I do and the Center to be thus obedient.”
Rossetti, who has over 148,000 followers on Instagram, is a prominent psychologist as well as an exorcist. His center has specialized in offering spiritual healing for priests troubled by various difficulties.
In 2023, he told The Associated Press there was increasing and renewed appetite for information about demonic possession and exorcism.
Washington, D.C
Nurses at Washington D.C.’s largest hospital call on leadership to reverse planned cuts to maternal health
RNs at MedStar Washington Hospital Center say closure of postpartum unit will disproportionately harm marginalized and underserved communities
Union nurses at MedStar Washington Hospital Center (MWHC) in Washington, D.C. are demanding that management stop the planned closure of an entire postpartum unit, announced National Nurses Organizing Committee/National Nurses United (NNOC/NNU). The hospital notified the union on May 26, 2026 of its intention to eliminate 11 maternal health beds and displace eight nurses by July 26, 2026, leaving MWHC with one postpartum unit.
In a follow-up town hall with staff nurses, Chief Nursing Officer Ariam Yitbarek confirmed the closure. Other leaders have additionally informed staff that the hospital will strictly limit scheduled C-sections and inductions for patients from numerous D.C. maternal health organizations. The list of organizations includes many that primarily serve low-income patients, immigrants, and patients of color, all communities with significantly higher risks of maternal mortality. Additionally, staff were informed that Kaiser Permanente, which notably insures a large number of DC city employees and even many of MWHC’s own workers, will see a strict limit on scheduling inductions and C-sections for their patients as well.
“Closing postpartum unit 5F will gravely impact those most affected by health disparities,” said Stephanie Sims-Coates, RN in the neonatal intensive care unit. “Our low-income families and families of color will be most affected by this closure. Families trust the medical staff at MWHC and plan to come to us for their care. In a city where Black women make up 90 percent of pregnancy-related deaths despite being only half the population, the hospital’s decision to close this unit is a significant mistake.”
Community leaders and healthcare workers are joining the call for MedStar to put patients before profits and keep the unit open. This past weekend, nurses met with D.C. mayoral candidate and Ward 4 councilwoman Janeese Lewis George about the planned closure and the impact it would have on DC’s most vulnerable residents.
“Maternal mortality is a crisis for Washington, DC, and our healthcare system needs to address the crisis immediately, rather than exacerbate the challenges that birthing parents face,” said Councilwoman Janeese Lewis George. “Now is the time to invest in health care, rather than make cuts. I want to work with the hospital to identify solutions that work for patients and the provider.”
“In my time at Washington Hospital Center, I’ve seen the hospital tout its Safe Moms, Safe Babies program and host a community baby shower specifically designed to call attention to the maternal mortality crisis,” said Marcqueata “Tiya” Butler, RN in the Mother/Baby unit. “Their current plan to shut down 11 postpartum beds betrays the hospital’s stated commitments. They are aware of persistent inequities in access to care. We are calling on the hospital to consider the impacts on the community, safeguard the mothers and infants of DC and commit to addressing the maternal mortality rate.”
In 2024, MedStar Health, a registered non-profit, reported $9 billion in operating revenue.
NNOC/NNU represents more than 2,200 registered nurses at Washington Hospital Center.
National Nurses United is the largest and fastest-growing union and professional association of registered nurses in the United States with more than 225,000 members nationwide. NNU affiliates include California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee, DC Nurses Association, Michigan Nurses Association, Minnesota Nurses Association, and New York State Nurses Association.
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