PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL KATHARINE T. SULLIVAN ANNOUNCES NEARLY $3 MILLON TO ADDRESS FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION AND CUTTING

Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: LAUREN LAMBERT, 202-305-7776
FRIDAY, OCT. 30, 2020 LAUREN.LAMBERT@OJP.USDOJ.GOV

PRINCIPAL DEPUTY ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL KATHARINE T. SULLIVAN ANNOUNCES NEARLY $3 MILLON TO ADDRESS FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION AND CUTTING

          WASHINGTON, DC – Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Katharine T. Sullivan announced that the Office of Justice Programs has awarded nearly $3 million to build or enhance community responses to address the needs of victims of female genital mutilation (FGM) and cutting. This grant program, the first from OJP to address this crime, will also provide targeted technical assistance to inform frontline providers on how to identify and serve victims and persons at risk of being victimized.

          “Female genital mutilation is a perverse form of oppression imposed on hundreds of thousands of girls and women here in the United States, yielding no medical benefits while subjecting victims to a cruel and degrading practice that can cause long-lasting adverse health consequences,” said Sullivan. “The Office of Justice Programs is committed to working with our victim service partners to educate community members, first responders, educators, mental health professionals and others to this threat to public safety and public health.”

          FGM refers to procedures involving partial or total removal of female genitalia or other injury to female genital organs for any non-medical purpose. FGM is recognized internationally as a violation of the human rights of girls and women. Today’s awards were made by OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime.

          “It’s time we dispel the notion that this barbaric practice is a viable cultural ritual rather than a source of enduring pain and suffering for so many women,” said OVC Director Jessica E. Hart. “My hope is that this program will further expose this egregious violation of human rights and that we will be able to get victims the aid and support they need.”

          In total, $2,993,611 was awarded to a training and technical assistance provider, Research Triangle Institute ($1,199,707), and the six project sites below. In addition to supporting implementation activities at the project sites, the training and technical assistance provider will educate law enforcement, community and mental health professionals, and educators on detecting at-risk girls. Project sites will work to increase education, detection and local partner engagement, forming community networks of agencies and organizations to address and help stop the victimization.

Nile Sisters Development Initiative, California
Total Awarded $299,980.00

Colorado Department of Human Services, Refugee Services, Colorado
Total Awarded $295,123.00

International Institute of Minnesota, Minnesota
Total Awarded $300,000.00

Sauti Yetu Center for African Women, Inc., New York
Total Awarded $300,000.00

US Together, Inc., Ohio
Total Awarded $298,801.00

The George Washington University, Washington, DC
Total Awarded $300,000.00

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