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Last month, a mother became the first person in the UK was convicted of female genital mutilation (FGM) and jailed for 11 years. Now, the long-awaited bill to further protect girls from FGM has been passed in the Commons and awaits the Queen to sign it into law. Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith, who presented the bill to parliament on March 11, took to Twitter to share the news: “Hugely moving and thoughtful speech by MP Sarah Champion in the FGM Bill.”

The bill, called the Children Act 1989 (amendment – female genital mutilation), intends to improve the 2003 law that prohibited the procedure by enabling family courts to make interim care orders about children considered to be at risk. “Male circumcision is rarely, if ever, done to subjugate the boy, whereas this is very clearly done to end sexual pleasure for women,” said Labour MP Sarah Champion. “There is no religious or cultural justification for this crime, it’s child abuse and creates lifelong medical issues.”

Read more: FGM Happens In Britain, It's Time We All Took Notice

Last month the bill was delayed by Sir Christopher Chope based on a technicality. Chope, who previously halted a bill to make upskirting a criminal offence, faced a backlash from his own party and peers, subsequently causing the government to step in.

Read more: Model And Activist Waris Dirie Calls On Women To Join The Fight To End FGM

Nimco Ali, a campaigner and co-founder of the anti-FGM charity Daughters of Eve, also shared the celebratory news on Twitter, saying: “Not going to lie this made me cry last night. To have the support of so many at a time when it would be easy to put the issue aside means so much. Thank you to every single MP who backed the work to end FGM.”