(WOSU) Gov. John Kasich has signed a law criminalizing female genital mutilation, or FGM.
FGM is described as surgical modifications or cutting to external genitalia for non-medical reasons. It’s a cultural practice that is common in some African countries, and can result in serious health complications.
“In Ohio, most of the populations that might be affected by FGM would probably be Somali origin communities, Ethiopian origin communities — mostly immigrants from Africa,” says Sarah Hayford, a sociologist with the Ohio State University who has studied FGM in sub-Saharan Africa.
The new law is especially relevant in Ohio because Columbus is home to the second largest population of Somali immigrants in the United States — a group at high risk for FGM.
