A new guide to the UK law on female genital mutilation is to be made available to girls at risk to help them speak out against the practice, the equalities minister Lynne Featherstone has announced.
The leaflet ‘A Declaration Against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) for Families and Girls’, is designed to slip in the back of a passport allowing girls to present it as a formal document to friends or family reminding them that FGM is against the law in the UK.
It will also set out what the penalties are for offenders, including a maximum 14-year custodial sentence, as well as advice on help and support.
Featherstone recently met the groups Integrate Bristol and Daughters of Eve to discuss how the issue affects their communities. The minister explained that this summer there would be a “programme of awareness” and community support activities, such as working with the Metropolitan Police on awareness training, creating a short film on FGM, distributing information leaflets in various languages to help victims and publishing guidelines for frontline staff to help them identify women and girls at risk.
“Female genital mutilation is an abhorrent crime and we are very clear that those found to practice it should feel the full force of the law,” Featherstone said. “As a government, we are also working with UK and international agencies to help prevent women and girls being subjected to this horrific practice.’