This year, the Metropolitan Police SCD5 is running an awareness campaign around female genital mutilation (FGM). Waltham Forest LSCB has responded by developing a local strategy for raising awareness among our partner agencies in time for the summer holidays, a time when girls are either flown out to countries that practice FGM or have the procedure done in the UK. The holiday period is then used as recovery time before the child returns to school.

It is estimated by the Foundation for Women’s Health, Research and Development (Forward), that around 279,500 women have undergone FGM in the UK and, each year, approximately 22,000 girls under the age of 16 are at risk of becoming victims. This page contains links to organisations working with FGM as well as basic information for professionals working with children in Waltham Forest.

Definition

“FGM constitutes all procedures which involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or injury to the female genital organs whether for cultural or other non-therapeutic reasons” (WHO, 1996)

Prevalence

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is much more common than most people realise, both worldwide, and in the UK. With migration to Western countries from areas where FGM is practised, it is increasingly found in immigrant communities in the United States, Canada, Europe, and Australia (World Health Organisation 1997). The World Health Organisation estimated that between 130-140,000,000 girls and women have experienced FGM and up to three million girls undergo some form of the procedure each year (UNICEF 2005).

It is practised in over 28 African countries, parts of the Middle and Far East. There are substantial populations from countries where FGM is endemic in London, Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield and Cardiff but it is likely that communities in which FGM is practised reside throughout the UK. The following countries have the highest incidence of FGM: Djibouti (98%), Egypt (97%), Eritrea (95%), Guinea (99%), Mali (94%), Sierra Leone (90%), and Somalia (98-100%) (WHO 2001).

The law

Female genital mutilation is illegal and is prohibited by the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003. A person is guilty of an offence if they excise, infibulate or otherwise mutilate the whole or any part of a girl's labia majora, labia minora or clitoris except for operations performed on specific physical and mental health grounds by registered medical or nursing practitioners. Other offences described in the Act are:

  • Assisting a girl to mutilate her own genitalia
  • Assisting a non-UK person to mutilate a girl's genitalia overseas

FGM is an offence, which extends to acts performed outside of the United Kingdom. Any person found guilty of an offence under the Act will be liable to a fine or imprisonment up to 14 years, or both.

Child protection

FGM is considered to be a form of child abuse as it is illegal and is performed on a child who is unable to resist or give informed consent. Working Together to Safeguard Children (HM Government 2006), states that a Local Authority may exercise its powers under section 47 of the Children Act 1989 if it has reason to believe that a child is likely to suffer or has suffered FGM. Under the Children Act 1989, Local Authorities can apply to the Courts for various Orders to prevent a child being taken abroad for mutilation.

More information available is in London Child Protection Procedures
Also, please refer to Waltham Forest LSCB's Protocol on Female Genital Mutilation (128KB PDF file)

Information available from Project Azure

The Police have the following resources available for distribution to all organisations working with children.

Useful links

Please be aware that these all link to external websites, so we cannot be responsible for the quality of the information on these.

Organisations