Female genital mutilation (FGM) is child abuse, a human rights violation and an extreme form of violence and discrimination against women and girls. It is illegal in the UK.
New estimates from City University London and Equality Now suggest that 137,000 women and girls were affected by FGM in England and Wales in 2011. Although a substantial proportion of these people were living in London – where 21 women per 1,000 were affected by FGM – other urban areas such as Manchester, Slough, Bristol, Leicester and Birmingham also had high prevalence rates. However, there are likely to be survivors living in every local authority in England and Wales.
So every local authority should take action.
Treat FGM as child abuse
FGM should be incorporated into councils’ strategies to deal with violence against women, which should clearly state that FGM in all its forms is a human rights violation. Prevention of FGM should also be made explicit in local child protection policies.
There is already considerable pressure on councils to provide a wide range of services efficiently and effectively, but they should be able to include FGM prevention and support for survivors within existing resources and structures.
Involve FGM survivors and experts
Local authorities should ensure that FGM survivors and relevant charities are consulted at all levels of planning and delivery. Involving survivors will help ensure that prevention and support interventions are more likely to be accepted by communities. Survivor groups are under-resourced and over-stretched but we encourage councils to contact them where possible, while also signposting survivors themselves to support services, such as the Dahlia Project in London.
One example of a successful partnership is the FGM service based in London’s St Mary’s hospital, which brings together children’s services, maternity services and the Midaye Somali community organisation. Women are referred to the clinic by maternity services or their GP. If they already have daughters or go on to give birth to a daughter, they are taken for a statutory assessment and can access therapy and psychological support. A lot of work is done to engage and listen to people in the community and respond sensitively.
Share information
Local authorities should ensure relevant information is shared with GPs, teachers and social workers so that the various efforts to end FGM are joined up. This is vital in ensuring sufficient resources are in place where needed, especially in areas with higher prevalence of FGM.
Provide training
Practitioners in the health, education and social service sectors should be appropriately trained and made aware of their individual responsibility to both prevent FGM and support survivors. Training professionals alongside one another can lead to a more integrated approach; organisations such as Manor Gardens, in London, provide a range of such services.
Training should focus on clinical and psychological help – but also safeguarding girls at risk by getting the message across to parents and communities that FGM is against the law.
We urge all local authorities to provide support and services to women and girls affected by FGM. There is growing momentum to break this cycle of abuse once and for all; the time to act is now.
More information on what local authorities should do to help end FGM is available here: Taking local action on FGM: an essential guide for local authorities.