Helping women and girls at risk of Female Genital Mutilation

The International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) takes place every year on 6 February and is a day dedicated to raising awareness of and taking action against this harmful practice that affects millions of women and girls globally.

FGM is when the female genitals are deliberately cut, altered or removed for non-medical reasons.

It’s also known as female circumcision or cutting, but has many other names including gudniin, halalays, tahur, megrez or khitan.

The consequences of FGM are severe and can have lifelong physical, psychological and social implications.

It’s important to remember that FGM is not part of any religion – it’s physical abuse and it’s illegal.

This includes practicing FGM in the UK, assisting a person to mutilate their own genitalia or taking someone who is a British National or permanent resident of the UK abroad or habitually resident, for FGM whether or not it is lawful in that country.

Identifying cases of FGM can be challenging due to the secretive nature of the practice, but there are signs that may indicate a girl or woman is at risk:

Signs FGM might happen
• A relative or someone known as a ‘cutter’ visiting from abroad
• Discussions about an upcoming ceremony or special occasion where a girl ‘becomes a woman’ or is ‘prepared for marriage’
• A female relative like a mother, aunt or sister has undergone FGM
• A family arranges a long holiday overseas or visits a family abroad during the summer holidays
• A person has an unexpected or long absence from school, university or work
• A girl runs away or plans to run away from home

Signs FGM might have taken place
• Health issues – complaints about difficulty walking, sitting or frequent urinary or menstrual problems
• Behavioural changes – sudden changes in behaviour, such as appearing quiet, anxious or depressed
• Acting differently after an absence from school, university or work
• Reluctance to go to the doctors or have routine medical examinations
• Asking for help – though they might not be explicit about the problem because they’re scared or embarrassed

There are a range of local charities and support services you might want to talk to if you’re worried about yourself or another person. You can also get more advice by visiting the NSPCC | The UK children's charity | NSPCC  website.

If someone you know is at risk of or has undergone forced genital mutilation, make sure to report it. You can dial 101 to speak to the police or anonymously report information on anyone involved with FGM to Crimestoppers.

Make sure to call 999 if you or someone you know is in immediate danger.