FGM & Specific Violence Against Young Women and Girls London Policy and Practice Networking Meeting Partnership for Young London Friday 4th March 2016

About Us Mary Otuko – UK Programme Manager Seyi Afolabi – Youth Programme Office www.forwarduk.org.uk

We work with women in the UK and in Africa Who are we? FORWARD is an African Diaspora led charity working to safeguard and advance the health and rights of African girls and women. We work with women in the UK and in Africa Our main practice areas are female genital mutilation (FGM) and child and forced marriage. Our vision is that women and girls live in dignity, are healthy and have choices and equal opportunities. We work with communities, schools, professionals, governments, policy makers, NGO’s, young people and men.

Why is FGM a form of GVB? ‘female genital mutilation’, ‘female genital cutting’, ‘female circumcision’ and ‘female genital mutilation/cutting’ refer to all procedures involving the removal of the external female genitalia for cultural reasons. FGM causes physical, sexual and emotional harm

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How is FGM carried out? Normally done between 3 - 12 years Varies from community to community but generally by an elder woman in the community using non-sterile equipment without anaesthetic UK girls are taken on “holiday” to have FGM done Communities in the UK are believed to have their own practitioners here Increased use of health professionals to avoid the health complications 6

Where part or all of the clitoris or the hood of it is removed Types of FGM Type 1: Where part or all of the clitoris or the hood of it is removed Also known as ‘Sunna’ www.forwarduk.org.uk

Where the clitoris and inner lips (labia minor) are removed Types of FGM Type 2: Where the clitoris and inner lips (labia minor) are removed www.forwarduk.org.uk

Type 3: Where the clitoris, inner and outer lips (labia minor/major) are cut away and the remaining skin is sewn or sealed together to varying degrees www.forwarduk.org.uk

Types of FGM Type 4: All other harmful procedures including pricking, piercing, incision, stretching, scraping or use of herbs and other substances for tightening www.forwarduk.org.uk

Health Complications www.forwarduk.org.uk

Short term health risks Long term health risks Short term health risks Difficulties with passing urine Uterine, vaginal & pelvic infections Difficulties in menstruation Cysts Scar tissue Increased risk of fistula Complications in pregnancy and child birth Sexual dysfunction Psychological problems Chronic pain Severe pain & shock Bleeding Infection Urine retention Tissue damage Haemorrhaging Death

The global context of FGM - Trends and Prevalence www.forwarduk.org.uk

FGM: An Overview on Global Data UNICEF estimates that at least 125 million girls and women have experienced FGM in 29 countries in Africa and the Middle East 30 million girls are at risk in the next decade. It is reported amongst Bohra Muslims in India, Pakistan and East Africa; in Malaysia, Indonesia and Sri Lanka, Yemen and throughout certain Kurdish communities There is no data for Columbia, Jordan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia or Malaysia 500,000 women and girls living in Europe have undergone FGM and 180,000 girls at risk of FGM FGM is practiced at all educational levels, in all social classes and occurs among a variety of different religious groups Source: UNICEF, 2013; EIGE, 2013

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Reasons given for practicing FGM culture and tradition religious obligation purity and chastity family honour aesthetics and hygiene gender identity

The situation in the UK Recent research indicates that about over 137,000 women living in England & Wales have undergone FGM Research in 2007 indicated 24,000 girls under 15 years old in the UK have undergone or are at risk of undergoing FGM However newer research from 2014 suggested up to 60,000 girls were now at risk Since 2008, 1.5% of all women who gave birth in England and Wales had undergone FGM Since 2006 over 2100 women and girls sought hospital treatment for FGM, 708 needed admission and/or surgery – Evening Standard 2012 www.forwarduk.org.uk www.forwarduk.org.uk

Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 The FGM Act replaces the Female Circumcision Act of 1985 Makes it a criminal offence to: Excise, infibulate or otherwise mutilate the whole or any part of a girl or woman’s labia majora, labia minora or clitoris. Aid, abet, counsel or procure a girl to mutilate her own genitalia; or Aid, abet, counsel or procure a non-UK person to mutilate a UK national’s or permanent resident’s genitalia outside of the UK. Definition of a girl includes woman Punishable by up to 14 year in prison

FORWARD’s Youth Programme Sustained engagement with young women and girls; Education & Training Awareness Raising Advisory Board Advocacy Events Creative arts Support Young men/boys www.forwarduk.org.uk

Youth Programme: Advocates ANGELA MURULI @EmmanuelSpeaks ‘Elephant In The Room’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BssgCir9wXY www.forwarduk.org.uk

BUSHRA OX www.forwarduk.org.uk

ZAYNAB BAROK www.forwarduk.org.uk

Peer Mentoring Programme Youth Peer Mentors Peer Mentoring Programme Nov – Dec 2015 Lydia, Esha, Sahiba, Nikki & Vikky Delivered by Peggy Mulongo of NESTAC www.forwarduk.org.uk

Support www.forwarduk.org.uk

FGM Specialist Clinics in the UK 22 specialist FGM clinics in the UK – 15 in London, 2 youth focused Majority are hospital based, midwifery led and few General Practice (GP) based Medical services and support Emotional support and counselling

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhMbKqS5KtI www.forwarduk.org.uk

For further information or advice: FORWARD General information: youth@forwarduk.org.uk For advice or referrals: support@forwarduk.org.uk Tel: 0208 960 4000 Web: www.forwarduk.org.uk

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