Structural Learning Week 3 - Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) by Chinwe Soares-Feyisitan:

I chose to do my structural learning on FGM because I find it to be an extremely important subject that many people are too afraid to discuss, and the longer we remain quiet about it the worse and more extreme it will become.

I started of my structural learning by giving some facts and figures about FGM around the world so that the team would understand that this is a really important topic and that it isn't just an isolated occurrence - that it even happens in our home countries; the UK and Rwanda.

How many girls and women alive today have been affected by FMG?

- More than 125 million in 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East

How many girls everyday are put through this process?

- 8,000

How many times has this procedure been carried out in the UK?

- 66,000

These numbers are really difficult for people to get their head around as FGM can often seem as a relatively small practice as not many people are willing to talk about it, and the negative impacts that it has not only on the girls and women but on society as a whole.

FGM is a non-medical procedure that has no health benefits for women or girls. It is typically carried out on girls aged between 4 - 15, but there have been known cases outside this age range. FGM actually has nothing to do with culture, tradition or religion - many people believe that this procedure is done for religious reasons; however it is not mentioned in any religious book.

I then went on to show the group the different types of FGM as there are three main ones:

A handout that I gave to the group.

Type 1 - Clitoridectomy:

• This is the partial or total removal of the clitoris.
• This is done by cutting or poking the area.

Type 2 - Excision:

• The partial or total removal of the clitoris and labia.

Type 3 - Infibulation:

• All parts are cut off, and the remaining skin is pulled together and sewn up.
• This has been carried out on 90% of girls in Somalia.

What does the Law have to say about this?

I then went on to explain to the group the take that UK law has on this scenario. It is particularly difficult to find out the different legal stances on this matter and this is why I focused on the UK.

In 1985 the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act made the procedure illegal in the UK. This was then amended in 2003 to make it illegal to carry out the procedure on a UK citizen whilst they are outside the UK - as many people were taking their children abroad to have the procedure carried out.

If convicted, a person in the UK faces 14 years imprisonment and a fine; however no one in the UK has been convicted, but in May 2014 a 38 year old women was arrested for conspiracy to commit FGM however the charges were dropped.

In France they regularly check their girls to make sure that they haven't had the procedure done - more than 100 people have been arrested in France.

But it's not all bad news:

The Netherlands are investing millions into finding a way to stop FGM and there is a campaign right here in the UK that you can join - Stop FGM Campaign

Further more the UK has introduced a form whereby if a young girl is feeling threatened or she believes that FGM is going to happen to her she can place it in her passport and the staff at the airport will be notified of this fear and check out the problem.

If you want to find out more about FGM then watch a documentary called The Cruel Cut.