Female Genital Mutation is child abuse and is illegal. Health and social care professionals and teachers can all play an important role in safeguarding girls at risk of FGM, and is within standard safeguarding responsibilities.
Female genital mutilation (sometimes referred to as female circumcision or cutting) refers to procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. It is a violent manifestation of a gender inequality and is a deeply entrenched social and cultural norm in many communities. It can also happen to women and girls from non-traditional affected communities and woman and girls from a dual heritage background.
There is no medical reason for FGM and there are no medical benefits. It can cause serious harm physically as well as emotionally, with both having long term consequences.
as well as being illegal in the UK, it is illegal to take anyone out of the UK for the procedure, to arrange for it to occur (in the UK of overseas) or to fail to protect your child from having FGM done
approximately 137,000 women and children resident in England and Wales have had FGM
it is estimated that over 60,000 girls under the age of 15 in the UK have a family history of FGM; this is the indicator that a girl MAY be at risk of FGM
FGM is child abuse and an example of violence against women and girls
women and girls often live with severe short-term and long-term physical and psychological consequences
girls are cut at different ages depending on the practice within their community; they may be cut when a few days old, during childhood or adolescence, just before marriage or during the first pregnancy
FGM can happen for a variety of reasons, including that communities mistakenly believe it ensures purity / cleanliness, is a religious requirement, or may be a rite of passage. The complex reasons are all forms of gender inequality, manifested in a violent and harmful act
Women with FGM can receive support and treatment from their GP or from FGM support clinics offering specialist services. There are specialist paediatric services available. Information about clinics and locations can be found on the NHS website.
Regulated health and social care professionals and teachers in England and Wales must make a report to the police where, in the course of their professional duties, they either: are informed by a girl under 18 that an act of FGM has been carried out on her; or observe physical signs which appear to show that an act of FGM has been carried out.
Professionals should call the 101 non-emergency police telephone number to make this report, alongside local safeguarding processes. Non-regulated professionals should urgently follow their safeguarding processes. If in doubt, ask your local safeguarding lead.
If professionals, whether under mandatory duty or not, suspect that a girl is at risk of FGM, they should urgently follow their normal safeguarding procedures.
If the girl is in imminent danger, they should call the police on 999.