FGM in the UK, illegal since 1985 but no prosecutions, how can we change this?

[OvaryAction]

I have just read this article stating that two people have been arrested for performing Female Genital Mutilation on a baby less than two months old.

The UK's efforts to end FGM are being seriously held back by a lack of national strategy or action plan. There are plenty of guidelines out there for teachers, midwives, social workers, police and so on, but they are not obligatory reading and many people in positions where they could identify victims and girls and women at risk are simply not aware of the problem or the role they could play in fixing it. this documentary explains this problem very well and the woman presenting it has created a petition asking the home office to act now and create an effective national action plan.

Please, please sign it and share it. FGM breaches numerous human rights including the right to no torture, inhuman or degrading treatment and causes lifelong physical and psychological trauma to it's survivors. In some cases FGM is fatal.

[HollaAtMeBaby]

Mrs Bennington we could start by treating it as the crime it is. Thousands of British children are mutilated either here or abroad every year and nobody has EVER been charged in this country because our judiciary is scared of being called racist/anti-islamic. Until we throw the book at any parents whose daughters are found to have had this done, they will not stop.

[Repeatedlydoingthetwist]

Signed and shared on my Facebook.

[foslady]

signed

[MrsBennington]

Ovary and Jack I will sign any petition in the hope it would end this barbaric practice but I'm a little bit realistic and realise these religious fanatics will carry on regardless.

Even if it was obligatory to report babies at risk it would be something "excused" for cultural etc humanrights rubbish.

The "Female Genital Mutilation Act" has been in place since at least 2003 however I believe there has never been a conviction under it.

I'm not saying it's right but the cultures that are doing this obviously believe it is the right thing and that is where any targeting needs to be done.

[Ladyhawke127]

Signed!

[Icepilot]

Signed

[OvaryAction]

FGM has been illegal in the UK since 1985 and there has not been a conviction yet, you're right.

By creating a national action plan which will make the professionals who come into contact with children at risk of FGM, or women who have already undergone FGM and may continue the tradition with their daughters, understand what FGM really is, know that they have a duty to do something about it and to know what they are supposed to do if they suspect a girl is at risk.

Around a third of midwives in the uk have encountered a pregnant or labouring woman with FGM and the majority have not known where to refer her for appropriate treatment, or known the procedure for reporting her children as being at risk. If this were different, think how many children could already have been protected.

[Topsymummy]

Signed

[BabieThePicess]

Signed

[ShirleySharpeyes]

Signed.

[ExcuseTypos]

Signed.

[SkinnybitchWannabe]

I watched the documentary as signed the petition whilst I was watching it.
We need to protect all those young girls who are at risk. We need as much publicity as possible.
Im glad the young men were shown so graphically what happens.
Ive shared the petition on Facebook and Twitter.
We owe it to all those girls

[MammaTJ]

it would help by equipping professionals who may come across children at risk with the knowledge they would need to stop it.

I am a first year student nurse, only weeks in to my training. I can assure you, I have been very well informed on this, even as 'adult' nurse. We 'may' come in to contact with a child who is at risk while looking after an adult!

The session I had on this was extremely traumatic, and meant to be and will not be forgotten by me or anyone else in the room in a hurry!

BTW-signed!

[dancemom]

Signed

[ColouringInQueen]

Signed.
thank you

[Theenormouscrocodile]

Signed

[OvaryAction]

That's great to hear Mamma things are obviously improving then, I have two midwife friends who trained in the mid 90s and early naughties and had not had any training on FGM

[DumSpiroSpero]

Signed and shared on FB & Twitter.

Will also flag it up with our family outreach team when I go back to work next week. Our community isn't massively diverse, but enough that it could happen whilst being unlikely enough that people won't be aware/educated on the subject.

[Xfirefly]

signed XXX

[Corygal]

Signed.

[AngiBolen]

signed

[OvaryAction]

Have changed the title now, so hopefully will get a bit more attention

[Stanislas]

Signed
Please post this on Gransnet .

[getouttheroad]

Signed