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.

horrific practice I have cared for women who has had FGM its awful the life long suffering they will endure, signed and shared on facebook

Signed

Shocked at no prosecutions! :(

I think girls at risk should be routinely checked by a sensitive female doctor, and anyone pregnant from countries where it is prevalent, or parents, need to be identified and educated. It is too important an issue to be wishy washy about.

Easy to say girls should be checked when you are white European and it isn't going to happen to you. I'm half-African, I think how I would feel it it were done to me.

The horror of regularly holding little girls down and exposing their genitals makes my blood run cold. The fact that the French do it does not recommend it to me quite the opposite.

Signed.

Signed

Signed

Signed

I've already signed and shared this via Facebook as I used to be a stuMW and all my old uni mates had shared also. We live and trained in an area where the incidence of FGM is quite high so it is very talked about but, I agree that there needs to be legislation or protocol that allows HCPs to flag up concerns to a relevant service etc.

Mrs.Bennington, what so you suggest we, as a country, so about the issue of FGM? Do you think that just because it's cultural that the practice cannot change? Over history many babaric things have changed even though they were cultural and it's because people, like us and everyone signing and involved with petition, made a stand and got things changed through knowledge, education, relevant legislation and convictions. We have to do something about this.

Signed

I personally don't think that routinely checking girls at risk would be appropriate or helpful. I think it could cause more of an 'us and them' dialogue which would cause the practice to become even more secretive.

Plus, the girls would eventually come to an age where they would be able to refuse the checks and I suspect the FGM would simply be postponed and performed after this age.

Signed. I read Waris Dirie (sp?) book years ago....:(

I have read a few articles on FGM in Indonesia, too.

Ooh! This thread has made discussions of the day!

Fingers crossed this means loads more signatures!

Signed.

bump

I also signed the petition when the documentary was aired on TV.

Signed

Signed.

Signed & thanks for posting this.

Signed.

Signed

Signed

Will sign. I was shocked & disgusted to hear this morning that girls are being brought to Scotland to have this done. I can't believe that in this day & age, this happens. How backwards must these people be :(