Colombia passes first Latin America law banning female genital mutilation

Colombia’s Senate approved Bill 440 on June 10, 2026, making the country the first in Latin America to prohibit female genital mutilation. The measure now awaits President Gustavo Petro’s signature and could reshape prevention, data collection, and survivor support nationwide.

Why it matters: - Colombia is the first Latin American country to adopt legislation specifically focused on female genital mutilation. - The new law targets a practice recognized globally as a human rights violation and a form of gender-based violence. - Stronger rules could improve prevention, reporting, and protection for girls at risk, especially in Indigenous communities where most documented cases in Colombia have appeared.

What happened: - Colombia’s Senate passed Bill 440 of 2025 on June 10, 2026, after the fourth and final Senate debate. - The bill prohibits female genital mutilation and creates a legal framework to address and prevent the practice. - President Gustavo Petro must sign the bill for it to become law. - Indigenous women played a central role in driving the campaign for the legislation.

The details: - Bill 440 of 2025 is also identified as Proyecto de Ley No. 440 de 2025 Senado-018 de 2024 Cámara. - The law calls for a national policy on the prevention, care and eradication of female genital mutilation. - The legislation requires mandatory healthcare protocols and training so medical personnel can identify and respond to cases. - The bill also orders stronger information systems to collect and publish regular data on the practice. - Colombia recorded 204 female genital mutilation cases nationwide between 2020 and 2025. - Of those cases, 177 involved Indigenous girls, mainly in Risaralda and Chocó. - Experts say the figures likely understate the true prevalence because of persistent underreporting. - Female genital mutilation is also known in Colombia as ablación. - The practice includes the partial or total removal of external female genitalia, or other injuries to female genital organs, for non-medical reasons. - The World Health Organization says FGM can cause hemorrhage, infections, chronic pain, childbirth complications, mental distress and death. - The UN General Assembly unanimously called for the elimination of FGM in 2012. - Sustainable Development Goal 5.3 calls for eliminating FGM by 2030. - Equality Now supported the legislative process with technical assistance on international standards and laws from other countries. - Equality Now also worked to ensure Indigenous women and civil society organizations had a meaningful role in shaping the legislation. - Equality Now’s report, the full report, found that only 59 of 94 countries where FGM has been documented have laws specifically addressing it. - Those laws are concentrated mainly in Africa, Europe and North America. - Countries including Kenya, Indonesia, France, Uganda and Somalia have taken different legal and policy approaches to address FGM. - The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights reiterated in 2026 that countries in the Americas must adopt urgent measures to eradicate FGM. - The commission tied the practice to violations of the rights to personal integrity, health and a life with dignity. - The IACHR statement followed its first thematic hearing on FGM in the Americas in November 2025.

Between the lines: - Indigenous women’s leadership was politically important because it helped move the issue from a hidden practice into public lawmaking. - An intercultural approach in the legislation signals that Colombia is trying to avoid a one-size-fits-all response and work with affected communities. - Framing FGM as only an ethnic issue could deepen stigma and miss cases in migrant and other communities. - The law adds to growing regional pressure for Latin American governments to treat FGM as a rights issue, not a local custom.

What’s next: - The key next step is President Gustavo Petro’s signature. - Colombia will then need sustained funding, public education, institutional training and community coordination to make the law effective. - Implementation will depend on cooperation with affected communities and firm enforcement by state institutions. - The law could serve as a precedent for other Latin American countries considering similar measures.

The bottom line: - Colombia has turned a long-hidden abuse into a national legal priority, but the real test now is whether the government can enforce the new law and prevent more girls from being harmed.