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http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2011/jul/12/tackling-female-genital-mutilation

12 July 2011 - Letters

 

UK - CLEAR FRAMEWORK FOR TACKLING FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION

 

It was refreshing to read the article by Hugh Muir on the approach to female genital mutilation in the UK (Hideously diverse Britain, 5 July). I have worked on FGM in Britain for around 30 years, helping to put it on the agenda, establishing an organisation that works with African communities, promoting education on the issue; and facilitating the setting-up of the first NHS clinic (at Northwick Park hospital) in 1992 to address some of the health complications.

Since that time, despite a legal ban since 1985, and numerous guidelines, conferences and training on the issue, little has been achieved by current programmes to end FGM in this country. The estimates in 2001 suggest that 66,000 women in this country have already undergone FGM and more than 22,000 girls are at risk – figures which have increased with migration since the initial 2001 prevalence study.

The film Cut is targeted at young people – an important audience. However, young girls alone will not have the power to stop this practice, which is why the government cannot just replicate the efforts it has taken to stop forced marriage. In France there have been more than 37 prosecutions over FGM. In the UK, there have been none. France has fully integrated FGM into its childcare and development system.

As pointed out in Muir's article: "This is a child protection issue. [It's] that simple." Britain needs to fully integrate FGM into its child protection framework and use it to identify girls at risk early and monitor them. As an African woman, I know that it is only when African families living in the UK are aware the government is serious about stopping FGM that they will abandon this practice. FGM occurs for several reasons, but the main reason is to control girls' sexuality. This cannot be solely dealt with by educating the community: it is family and community–condoned violence.

Efua Dorkenoo - Advocacy director, FGM programme, Equality Now

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The National Alliance of Women's Organisations is very concerned that the government has announced only £10m in funding to the new UN agency for women (Report, 6 July). We appreciate that this is the second largest donation after Spain, but the total grant that UN Women will receive at this level sets it up for failure. UN Women has an ambitious but achievable programme. The government appears to approve of its choices and strategic direction. Compared with other grants we make – in particular to the World Bank, which does rather poorly – this is far too little. It is a sad day for the world's women – especially the poorest and most in need, who are those who can contribute most to development and to peace. Nawo has worked with other women's organisations to reform the gender architecture of the UN – and resourcing the new agency was always a key condition of any such reform.

Annette Lawson - Chair, National Alliance of Women's Organisations