Government launches study into Female Genital Mutilation

GPs and health professionals working in maternity, obstetrics, gynaecology, and sexual health are today being asked to take part in new study into Female Genital Mutilation in a bid to better ensure that services to protect women and girls are as effective as possible.

The study aims to increase the Government’s knowledge about women and girls affected by Female Genital Mutilation in England. It will also look at how the training needs of key health professionals could be improved and provide vital information for the development of appropriate sexual and reproductive health services. The findings will inform the forthcoming cross-government strategy on tackling Violence Against Women and Girls.

Female Genital Mutilation, also known as female genital cutting, can cause long-term mental and physical suffering, difficulty in giving birth, infertility and even death. It is illegal in the UK.

Dame Christine Beasley, England’s Chief Nursing Officer said:

“Up to 24,000 young girls in the UK are at risk of Female Genital Mutilation. We have put training in place to support frontline healthcare staff in responding where they see or hear of this practice taking place.

“By taking part in this research, Nurses will be helping to ensure that the training available to them in this difficult area is refined and improved.

“I urge all nurses to log on and take part in this important research. “

Health Minister, Gillian Merron said:

“Female Genital Mutilation is an extremely harmful practice and is illegal. It violates women’s most basic human rights. Keeping children and young people safe is a top priority for the health service and the findings of this research will be essential in ensuring that we continue to offer women the best possible protection.

“Often, women affected by Female Genital Mutilation first come into contact with the NHS through maternity, obstetrics and gynaecology and sexual health services. I am therefore asking all these health professionals to take a stand against this practice by taking part in this research.”

To take part in this study health professionals should visit http://surveys.redhouselane.com/survey.aspx?surveyid=30&uid=_ and enter password fgmsurvey

Funded by the Department of Health, the Foundation for Women’s Health Research and Development (FORWARD), the Royal College of Nursing, Royal College of Midwives, the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists are working together with King’s College London, Florence Nightingale School of Nursing and Midwifery to conduct a study with health professionals on FGM. It will run throughout September.

Action demanded to combat female genital mutilation across Europe

The European Parliament has this week called for concerted action to ban female genital mutilation in the EU, by adopting a new report which also acknowledges the problem in EU immigration law.

Every year approximately 180,000 female emigrants in Europe undergo, or are in danger of undergoing, female genital mutilation (FGM). Although FGM is a violation of women's rights under various international conventions, and is prohibited under the criminal law of Member States, it is difficult to monitor on EU territory as it is carried out behind closed doors.

MEPs have now demanded a clear EU-wide strategy for combating FGM in the form of laws, prevention systems, education and social measures, and wide dissemination of information regarding the existing protection mechanisms available to vulnerable groups.

In a separate development, new policy calling for gender-related persecution, and specifically FGM, to be recognised when assessing claims for asylum in the UK, was unanimously passed this week at the Green Party conference. While the UK Government does recognise threats to women from certain countries, reports have found that persecution based on gender is
frequently overlooked.

Jean Lambert, London's Green Party MEP and a Member of the European Parliament's Civil Liberties Committee, said:

"When a woman is at risk of forced female genital mutilation, she faces a serious threat to her physical health and mental well-being. Many women never fully recover from this often violent act, frequently performed against their will.

"Other kinds of abuse against women must also be recognised in assessing asylum claims. Incidences of women suffering severe sexual abuse have failed to be sufficiently investigated by the Government and without the intervention of NGOs and other concerned individuals many women would find themselves in a fast-track system to be returned to their country of origin.

"New policy, which has been adopted by the Green Party, calls for gender-related persecution to be fully recognised and investigated when assessing asylum claims to avoid deporting women to on-going dangerous situations. I welcome this advance in Green Party policy and the recent
developments in the European Parliament."