1. Female Genital Mutilation
Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation
Objective: To inform students about female genital mutilation and the reasons why it is practised through focusing on real life stories.
Outcomes: To know what FGM is, why it is illegal in many countries and its impact on the rights and wellbeing of girls.

2. What if FGM? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1JAfpHf4uY

3. Fact or Myth?
TRUE
1. Female genital mutilation is the deliberate cutting of a girl's external genitals (private parts).
Activity: Fact or Myth?
Pupils vote on whether they think a statement is fact or myth

4. Fact or Myth?
TRUE
2. In many countries it is carried out by women who have no medical training, using unsterilized knives, blades or sharpened stones, without anaesthetic (pain relief).
Activity: Fact or Myth?
Pupils vote on whether they think a statement is fact or myth

5. Fact or Myth?
TRUE
3. Female genital mutilation is nearly always carried out on children, commonly between four and twelve years of age.
Activity: Fact or Myth?
Pupils vote on whether they think a statement is fact or myth

6. Fact or Myth?
FALSE
4. There are lots of health benefits to having female genital mutilation
Girls are in danger of dying from blood loss or infection during and after the procedure
Activity: Fact or Myth?
Pupils vote on whether they think a statement is fact or myth

7. 5. Girls need to have female genital mutilation to have babies
Fact or Myth?
FALSE
5. Girls need to have female genital mutilation to have babies
Women who have undergone female genital mutilation are likely to experience difficulty in childbirth
Activity: Fact or Myth?
Pupils vote on whether they think a statement is fact or myth

8. 6. Female genital mutilation is supported by religion
Fact or Myth?
FALSE
6. Female genital mutilation is supported by religion
Female genital mutilation is a ‘traditional’ practise and is linked to custom rather than religion
Activity: Fact or Myth?
Pupils vote on whether they think a statement is fact or myth

9. 7. Female genital mutilation is not a crime in the UK
Fact or Myth?
FALSE
7. Female genital mutilation is not a crime in the UK
There is a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison for anyone found guilty of the offence. It is also illegal to take someone out of the UK for them to be cut.
Activity: Fact or Myth?
Pupils vote on whether they think a statement is fact or myth

10. 8. Female genital mutilation is a form of child abuse
Fact or Myth?
TRUE
8. Female genital mutilation is a form of child abuse
Activity: Fact or Myth?
Pupils vote on whether they think a statement is fact or myth

11. 9. Female genital mutilation is a violation of human rights
Fact or Myth?
TRUE
9. Female genital mutilation is a violation of human rights
Activity: Fact or Myth?
Pupils vote on whether they think a statement is fact or myth

12. 10. I can’t do anything to stop FGM
Fact or Myth?
FALSE
10. I can’t do anything to stop FGM
By speaking out and saying female genital mutilation is unacceptable, you add your voice to international pressure for the practice to end
Activity: Fact or Myth?
Pupils vote on whether they think a statement is fact or myth

13. Case study: Interview with a mother and her children
Layla Hussain and her siblings speak with their mother about FGM and their experiences.

14. Reflection
Why was the mother confused about her own experience of FGM?
Do you think the mother wanted her children to have FGM? Explain.

15. Testimonies from Survivors of FGM
This video is 8:40 in length. It gives first hand accounts of FGM

16. Consequences of FGM A girls has FGM (is cut)
This is to be completed after watching the video on slide 15

17. What would you do?
You feel passionately about female genital mutilation coming to an end. You decide to do one of the following to work towards eradicating it:
Prepare a Q&A for a community meeting with parents whose daughters are at risk of female genital mutilation
Write to a local government official to ask for more resources to reach remote communities who are still practicing female genital mutilation
Write a newspaper article or blog post for anyone from the local community to read
In each case you must explain what female genital mutilation is and why you think it needs to stop being practiced.
Activity: What would you do?
Ask pupils to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the issues around female genital mutilation by either:
Prepare a Q&A for a community meeting
Write to a local government official to ask for more resources to reach remote communities
Write a newspaper article or blog post for the local community

18. Further information
There are many organisations set up to end female genital mutilation. You can get more information, support and advice about female genital mutilation in the UK from:
Childline
Daughters of Eve
Healthy Schools London
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
NHS
NSPCC
The Metropolitan Police Service has a dedicated service for girls at risk of female genital mutilation. Call their Child Abuse Investigation Command/Project Azure on
Further information
You can get more information, support and advice about female genital mutilation in the UK from:
Childline
Daughters of Eve
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
NHS
NSPCC
The Metropolitan Police Service has a dedicated service for girls at risk of female genital mutilation. Call their Child Abuse Investigation Command/Project Azure on

19. What could you do to help end FGM?
If your pupils would like to get more involved in the global campaign to end FGM then they could:
Visit actionaid.org.uk/endFGM to get up to date information on the ActionAid campaign
Follow #endFGM on twitter and instagram
Think up their own creative campaign to help spread the word and #endfgm