Hounslow hosts first FGM conference

Council teams up with anti-FGM charity FORWARD to raise awareness ahead of high risk holiday season

In a step towards putting an end to female genital mutilation (FGM), Hounslow Council hosted its first conference to discuss ways to tackle the issue.

The local authority teamed up with leading anti-FGM charity, FORWARD (Foundation for Women’s Health Research and Development), to raise awareness ahead of the summer holiday season, a high risk period.

The Hounslow Against FGM community event was attended by around 65 people on June 10, and highlighted the importance of safeguarding girls at risk from countries where the dreadful ordeal is still practised, such as Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

It is known that parents take their daughters to their home countries to undergo the harmful practice during the school summer holidays when they are less likely to arouse the suspicions of teachers and when there is a longer period time for healing.

The conference was held at the BridgeLink Centre, in Summerwood Road, Isleworth, led by councillor Sue Sampson, with speakers including FGM experts specialising in identifying girls at risk and supporting survivors, the Met Police, organisers FORWARD, West London Somaliland Community network coordinator Ifrah Hassan and Joanna Girling, an expert gynaecologist at West Middlesex University Hospital.

Ms Sampson, cabinet member for domestic violence, who was recently presented with an award by the Hounslow Somali Community Network, said: “FGM is acknowledged in the UK as a violation of human rights of girls and women.

“It is a very deep-rooted practice carried out for many different cultural reasons but generally constitutes discrimination against women.

“It has been for too long a taboo subject, with some girls as young as five undergoing the procedure with a myriad of life-long health problems as a result”.

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