Heather Bellamy spoke with Louise Robertson, the Communications Manager for 28 Too Many, a UK based anti-FGM charity, about what needs to be done to see the practice of FGM end within a generation.

Louise Robertson

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a traditional cultural practice that has been illegal in the UK since 1985, but it has now become a requirement for doctors, nurses, midwives and teachers to report new cases. According to the NHS, 'Female genital mutilation refers to procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons'. To find out more about the effect this new requirement will have on seeing the practice of FGM come to an end, Heather Bellamy spoke with Louise Robertson, the Communications Manager for 28 Too Many, a UK based anti-FGM charity.

Heather: How important is this new requirement, to see the Government's goal of ending this practice within a generation achieved?

Louise: I think it is an important step forward. It sends out a clear message that the UK is now taking action to stop FGM happening here and also to protect British girls who are at risk of being taken overseas for FGM. If we find out that girls have been subjected to this practice, then there are consequences for that.

Heather: Is there a lot of pressure on young girls to remain silent about it in the UK, despite it being illegal and there being people that can help them?

Louise: I think there is pressure, but it's not just on the young girls; it's pressure across the whole family. FGM is often a secret or taboo practice. The fact that it's illegal just adds to that pressure.

Heather: So is FGM addressed through schools to help educate young girls about the dangers and what can be done to help them?

First UK anti-FGM billboard

Louise: It's beginning to be. There are now a number of schools that have provided training for their staff and teachers around FGM and some schools also run programmes helping to raise awareness of girls' rights and the risks of a number of practices including FGM, but it's not mandatory for schools. It's very much done on a 'school by school' basis and if the head teacher wants to go ahead and start this programme then there are organisations in the UK who can help them do that.

Heather: Is there anything else going on in society to help the wider family?

Louise: Yes, again, there are lots of local organisations and some bigger organisations like the NSPCC that have programmes in place that can help people who are worried about FGM. The NSPCC actually have a 24 hour helpline specifically for FGM, with trained people working on that who can answer queries and help, but it is an area where we need to have more effort. As the UK's tightened up the law, it's bringing in reporting and other instruments that will help raise awareness of the illegality of FGM and hopefully start bringing forward cases where people will be held accountable. It's even more important that we invest in community based action and education programmes to help the families where FGM might be practiced; to understand what's going on and understand that there's a choice here and they don't have to do this and they can stop and that there is the support for them to make that decision.

Heather: How widespread is this in the UK?

Louise: We don't really know. There was a survey done, based on census data last year that indicated that there could be as many as 137,000 women and girls who have had FGM living in the UK and there could be 60,000 girls at risk. But those are estimates. What's now happening is that when people present within the NHS and the doctors discover that they've had FGM that's being recorded, so the Department of Health are beginning to produce data, which over time will build up a more accurate picture, but we're not there yet.

Heather: So if it is illegal in this country, how would it be performed? Do they have to leave this country, or would it happen here in the UK?

Louise: There are rumours that it has happened here in the UK and that 'Cutters', generally older women, have been flown in to carry it out, but there's no documented evidence, or cases of that being brought forward by the police yet. What's more likely is that girls are cut before they come to the UK, or if their families are already living here, then they are taken overseas; often during the school holidays to be cut in their parent's country of origin.

Heather: What else to you believe needs to happen, to see FGM stopped in the UK within a generation?

Louise: I think the most important thing is that there is further investment and resources made available for education and the community based work we mentioned earlier. The law is really important for setting the overall climate and saying that the UK as a country will not tolerate this practice and we'll take action against it, but we've got to talk to people and help them understand what FGM really is; what the harm of it is and that they can stop. I think when that happens people will decide to stop and it can end quite quickly.

Heather: If a young girl raises this as an issue with an authority, whether a doctor or a teacher, what could she expect to happen next?

Louise: From 31st October last year there's this new mandatory reporting requirement that has been bought in, so if FGM is disclosed to a professional and by professional we mean a teacher, or a health worker or a social worker and the girl is under 18, then that professional has to report it. It's a personal duty, so they can't pass it on to someone else in their organisation, they are responsible for reporting it to the police. The police will investigate and follow-up if FGM is disclosed.

Heather: If a young girl is reading this today and she knows she's at risk of having FGM performed on her, what would your advice be?

Louise: She has a number of options. She could go directly to the police, but I think that can be very scary, particularly for a young person. So try to find an adult that you trust, perhaps your teacher, or a relative, or even a neighbour, or someone outside of your family if you are concerned about your family actually wanting the FGM. The other thing of course is the NSPCC FGM helpline which is 0800 0283550.