FORWARD Condemns the American Academy of Pediatrics’ amended policy on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), which suggests conducting ritual nick of genitals as “compromise”

May 6, 2010
By Women in London

On 26 April 2010 the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a revised “Policy Statement – Ritual Genital Cutting of Female Minors” which significantly weakens their commitment to health and well being of infants and children. The AAP is endangering rights of young girls at risk of FGM by suggesting the performance of Type IV* FGM as ‘a possible compromise to avoid greater harm’. FGM, in all its forms, is a violation of human rights and poses immediate and long-term health consequences to girls and women.
FORWARD is deeply concerned at this weakening of policy on FGM and is calling on the AAP to revert to its caveat free 1998 policy statement that ‘opposes all forms of female genital mutilation’.

“All forms of FGM are a clear breach of a girl’s human rights and this practice should not be perpetuated by health professionals, whose duty is to care and protect the girl. FGM carried out by medical professionals gives a legitimate and acceptable face to a practice which damages women’s and girls’ reproductive, sexual and psychological health. Performing FGM in sterile conditions does not alleviate the long-term effects of FGM and international bodies such as the World Health Organisation have consistently opposed such a move,” states FORWARD’s Executive Director, Naana Otoo-Oyortey.

The AAP has downgraded its recommendation to ‘oppose all forms of Female Genital Mutilation’, as stated in the 1998 recommendations, to ‘oppose all forms of Female Genital Cutting (FGC) that pose risk of physical or psychological harm’. It has qualified the recommendation that ‘its members actively seek to dissuade families from carrying out FGM’, by now applying it only to ‘harmful forms of FGC’. Most seriously, it has also erased altogether the 1998 recommendation that ‘its members decline to perform any medically unnecessary procedure that alters the genitalia of female infants, girls, and adolescents’.
In effect, the new AAP policy promotes changes in US federal and state laws that would ‘enable pediatricians to reach out to families by offering a ritual nick’ for example ‘pricking or incising the clitoral skin to satisfy cultural requirements’.

About FORWARD
FORWARD is an African Diaspora women’s campaign and support charity. Our work responds to the need to safeguard dignity and advance the sexual and reproductive health and human rights of African women and girls. We work with individuals, communities and organizations to transform harmful practices and improve the quality of life of vulnerable girls and women.
FORWARD envisions a world where women and girls live in dignity, are healthy and have choices and equal opportunities to fulfil their potential. http://www.forwarduk.org.uk/
 
*The World Health Organisation identifies the following four types of FGM:
Type I: Excision of the prepuce, with or without excision of part or the entire clitoris (clitoridectomy).
Type II: Partial or total removal of the clitoris and the labia minora, with or without excision of the labia majora (excision).
Type III: Narrowing of the vaginal orifice with creation of a covering seal by cutting and appositioning the labia minora and/or the labia majora, with or without excision of the clitoris (infibulations).
Type IV: All other harmful procedures to the female genitalia for no medical purposes, for example: pricking, piercing, incising, scraping and cauterisation

FORWARD calls to make female genital mutilation history

April 1, 2010
FORWARD

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is a violation of human rights and poses immediate and long-term health consequences to girls and women. * It currently affects 140 million women and girls. [Source: World Health Organisation] * In the UK alone, it is estimated that over 24,000 girls are at risk of FGM.

Despite this, there remains little awareness, particularly amongst young people, or engagement with communities and families.
Success in reducing the prevalence of FGM can only be achieved by actively working in partnership with communities and families, and empowering young people to speak out.
"Community engagement is a vital to change this complex practice of female genital mutilation. Creating spaces and dialogue to discuss and build skills of community stakeholders will help strengthen change and safeguard rights and wellbeing of affected communities." said FORWARD Executive Director Naana Otoo-Oyortey.
International Zero Tolerence to FGM Day provides an opportunity for everyone to raise their voices to Make FGM History.
FORWARD and its partners will continue to work to make this a reality and to safeguard the dignity and advance the sexual and reproductive health and human rights of African women and girls.

About FORWARD
The Foundation for Women’s Health Research and Development (FORWARD) is an African Diaspora women’s campaign and support charity. Our work responds to the need to safeguard dignity and advance the sexual and reproductive health and human rights of African women and girls. We work with individuals, communities and organizations to transform harmful practices and improve the quality of life of vulnerable girls and women.
We envision a world where women and girls live in dignity, are healthy and have choices and equal opportunities to fulfil their potential.

About The Gift
The Gift is a fictive monologue written by Zahrah Awaleh that deals with the realities and horrors of FGM. It gets inside the head of a young Somali woman who is on her way to her FGM reversal operation in a London hospital. In the monologue, she opens her heart to the listener, and in the process restores and reclaims her dignity and self-worth.
PDF file The Gift.pdf (.pdf 79.2 KB)

Think Again: The Making-Of

March 3, 2010
By FORWARD

"Think Again" is a thought-provoking film that follows a 12-year-old's struggle between family honour and the facts about FGM. On discovering that her mom wants to take her back home to be 'cut' she explores the implications FGM has on her life and the misconceptions that explain why the practice persists in the 21st century.

"Think Again" depicts the cultural context in which FGM is practiced and the inter-generational conflict of holding down tradition in a new and foreign environment. The physical and psychological impact of FGM is ongoing, life-long and remains taboo to discuss even between mother and daughter. "Think Again" addresses a complex issue with sensitivity and creativity, breaking the silence and inspiring change.

The Young People Speak Out project is led by FORWARD to engage young people from FGM-practicing communities to educate and empower their peers and their community to abandon the practice of FGM. The storyline for the film is based on real-life experiences of women and young people in the UK who have undergone FGM.

-

FORWARD is an African diaspora-led campaign and support charity, established in 1985. FORWARD works to advance and safeguard the sexual and reproductive health and rights of African women and girls, particularly those affected by female genital mutilation (FGM).

Film breaks silence over female circumcision

February 15, 2010
By Elizabeth Pears - Haringey Independent

YOUNG African women will screen a film in Tottenham on Friday to break the silence about female genital mutilation.
The Foundation for Women's Health Research and Development (Forward), a charity promoting women's rights, worked with the young women to create a film called Think Again, in partnership with the Haringey African Women's Welfare Group.
It follows one 11-year-old's struggle between family honour and the facts of female circumcision after learning that her mother wants her to undergo the procedure.
It also helps to answer why it still exists in the 21st Century and sheds light on the physical and psychological impact it can have.
The cultural practice, most prevalent in Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia and Egypt, involves partial, or total removal, of female genitalia for non-medical reasons.
With 24,000 girls at high risk in the UK, critics are calling for more awareness about the custom which can cause serious health concerns and make sexual intercourse painful.
According to the Haringey domestic and gender based violence strategy 2008-2012, there are no definite figures of how many Haringey residents are at risk, but some schools have reported female pupils being taken abroad in the summer to undergo the procedure.
Even the local health authority, NHS Haringey, said it did not record that type of information.
Up to 20 young women aged between 11 and 23 participated in the five-month Young People Speak Out project to educate their peers and their community to abandon the practice.
As well as tackling a difficult issue, the young women also developed skills in acting, filming, editing, event management and campaigning.
The film will be aired on Friday, February 19, between 6pm and 9pm at the Haringey Irish Cultural and Community Centre, in Pretoria Road, and will include a presentation, poetry performances, a question-and-answer session and a cultural dance performance.
Think Again will be used as part of Forward's schools programme.

FORWARD Awarded £30,000 To Help Protect Bristol Girls From Genital Mutilation

January 20, 2010

By Bristol City Council

National campaign group, FORWARD have been awarded a £30,000 contract to work with Bristol communities to help support girls and women who may be at risk of female genital mutilation (FGM).

Illegal in the UK, FGM involves the partial or total removal of external female genitalia and is a cultural practice carried out in more than 28 African countries, plus some Asian and South American countries.

In Bristol, the Bristol Safeguarding Children's Board has been leading a multi-agency effort to raise awareness of the issue and train professionals in spotting signs that a girl may be vulnerable to FGM. Forward will be working with community groups, training local advocates, talking to young people, running a pilot drop-in advice centre and providing feedback and training to health workers to improve services.

Chair of the Bristol Safeguarding Children Board Dr Ray Jones said:

“Female genital mutilation has very serious health implications for girls in this country. Cutting is usually performed before puberty and we estimate that around 1500 girls in Bristol are at risk.

“There are many myths around the practice but there is no religious text that supports or promotes any form of FGM. By commissioning FORWARD to do this work we will help girls and women build confidence, awareness and self-determination to make informed choices and access the services they need.”

FGM carries the risk of death from bleeding or tetanus, and long-term problems including urinary incontinence, recurrent infections and chronic pain. Reversal procedures are necessary for childbirth.

FORWARD Executive Director Naana Otoo-Oyortey said:

“Community engagement forms a vital entry point in changing this old practice of female genital mutilation. Creating spaces and dialogue to discuss and build skills of key community stakeholders and players will help strengthen change and safeguard rights and wellbeing of affected communities.”

Avon and Somerset Constabulary Detective Chief Inspector with the Public Protection Unit Dave McCallum said:

"Female genital mutilation is a serious crime attracting a prison sentence of up to fourteen years. If underage children are involved it is also classed as child abuse. Because the consequences of female genital mutilation for girls and women are so harmful, our primary focus must be on preventing it from happening.

"Anyone considering instigating this procedure, carrying it out or arranging for it to be performed on their children or any other female should be in no doubt that Avon and Somerset Police will thoroughly investigate any suspicion or incident with a view to prosecution.

"We would strongly urge anyone with information about any woman or girl who might be at risk to report it without delay. We would also ask the public to tell us about anyone involved in carrying out or arranging this practice. It can be reported to the police directly or through Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111 - they never ask your name and never trace your call.

"We are fully committed to working with our communities, partner agencies and organisations to stop this damaging practice and this new work will be invaluable in assisting us to achieve this objective."

NHS Bristol Designated Nurse for Safeguarding Children Jackie Mathers said:

“One of the best ways that we can raise awareness and encourage reporting is by making sure that front-line health staff are trained to recognise the signs that girls might vulnerable to FGM. Six hundred professionals working in health, education, the police, social services and the voluntary sector have already been trained and we hope to reach more this year.”

Female genital mutilation: what schools can do

from: teachingexpertise.com
20,000 girls may be at risk of female genital mutilation in the UK. The charity Forward urges schools to watch out for the signs

Research from the female genital mutilation (FGM) charity Forward suggests that 20,000 girls may be at risk in the UK. The charity says that most FGM takes place at primary school age, with the average age being eight. Girls coming back to school this September may have been subjected to this horrific practice during their summer holidays abroad and Forward suggests that teachers are ideally placed to pick up on signs and symptoms
Although there are many different types of FGM, almost all involve the removal or cutting of some part of the female genitalia. Health risks from this practice include urinary tract infections, infertility, and the spread of tetanus and HIV from unsterilised blades. Because most FGM is carried out on young children under duress and without anaesthetic , there is almost always a psychological fallout.
FGM has been illegal in the UK since 1985, but new legislation in 2003 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and in 2005 in Scotland, also made it an offence to force a child to undergo FGM abroad. Despite the introduction of this legislation there have been no convictions.
Clare Chelsom, an officer working for Project Azure, the Metropolitan police's leading team against FGM, said at the launch of this years prevention campaign: ‘We know that FGM can be seen as an act of love for children. We know that some parents would like to say no to FGM but feel under pressure. We’re more interested in the perpetrators making money from this practice than the parents.’
Chelsom believes that the lack of convictions is due to the fact the offence is under-reported: ‘Like most cases of child abuse, we have to rely on a child telling on their parent or in some cases their whole community. There may be fears of authority, language or immigration issues. In some cases, hard-to-reach communities may not even know the law.’
According to Forward’s fact sheet: ‘The justifications given for the practice are multiple and reflect the ideological and historical context of the societies in which it has developed. Reasons cited generally relate to tradition, power inequalities and the ensuing compliance of women to the dictates of their communities.’
Signs to look out for
Suspicions may arise in a number of ways that a child is being prepared for FGM to take place abroad. These include knowing that the family belongs to a community in which FGM is practised and is making preparations for the child to take a holiday, arranging vaccinations or planning absence from school. The child may also talk about a ‘special procedure/ceremony’ that is going to take place.
Indicators that FGM may already have occurred include prolonged absence from school, with noticeable behaviour change on return and long periods away from classes or other normal activities, possibly with bladder or menstrual problems. Some teachers have described how children find it difficult to sit still and look uncomfortable or may complain of pain between their legs or talk of something somebody did to them that they are not allowed to talk about.
Where children might be at greater risk
Forward’s recently published research, A Statistical Study to Estimate the Prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation in England and Wales, is available from the Forward website. This research identifies areas of England and Wales where children may be more at risk of FGM based on the numbers of people resident from known FGM practising countries.
Forward identifies 29 African countries where FGM is known to be practised to some extent; Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Somalia and Uganda are identified as having the highest numbers of women who have experienced FGM.
However, as the research points out, defining risk based on country of origin may present a false view; families may change their attitudes towards FGM as a result of living in another culture and may have moved to a new country to escape pressure from their community to have their daughters subjected to FGM.
Awareness
Forward’s research recommends that further research into the risk of FGM to children in this country should be undertaken. It also recommends that all professionals with responsibility for safeguarding should be made aware of FGM as a form of child abuse and how to refer their concerns. Forward suggests that schools should be prepared to talk to families where they have concerns that the family may be planning to take their daughters abroad to undergo FGM and make them aware of the law.