Category: 0722

We are only less than four months away from the second annual Walk to End FGM?  Yes, Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation has already begun the countdown by month to Saturday, October 31, 2015.  We are looking forward to an even greater turnout than we had in 2014!  You don’t want to miss out on the early bird registration of $25 so make sure you visit www.globalwomanpeacefoundation.org and register to Walk to End FGM.  You may start a team, join a team or make a donation if you are unable to join us.  We look forward to seeing you there!

This story was first published and released by the Guardian.  Bedfordshire police have secured the first ever UK’s female genital mutilation (FGM) protection order, which bans travel by people who are believed to be at risk of FGM.in the U.K.

As some schools broke up for the summer holidays on Friday, Bedfordshire police in the U.K. seized the passports of two young girls who it was thought could be taken to Africa to be genitally mutilated.  Police obtained the court order under a new power which came into force on this past Friday. Breaching it is a criminal offence.

DCI Nick Bellingham, from Bedfordshire police’s public protection unit, said: “This legislation is a really positive step forward in the fight against this horrific, cruel crime, and we’re pleased to have been able to enforce it today by issuing a protection order.

“With schools breaking up for the summer holidays today, we will continue to use this legislation where needed to prevent young girls who we believe may be at risk from being taken out of the country.

“This is child abuse, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that children are kept safe and that those responsible are caught,” said Bellingham.

FGM is a procedure that partially or completely removes the external female genital organs for non-medical reasons.

Bedfordshire police said it was estimated that more than 20,000 girls younger than 15 in the UK were at risk of FGM each year, but very few cases are reported.

Signs that FGM may have been inflicted on a child include a lengthy absence from school, health problems including bladder and menstrual trouble, complaints about pain between their legs, and behavioral changes, police said.

A child may also talk about being taken away for a special ceremony, or say that something has happened to them which they are not allowed to talk about.

Bellingham said: “A change in law isn’t in itself enough to end this barbaric practice. I’d urge anyone who suspects that a child is at risk of FGM to contact police immediately.”

The change in the law was announced October last year, amid the Guardian’s End FGM campaign.

Besides the protection orders, the Serious Crime Act 2015 allows judges to remand people in custody, order mandatory medical checks and instruct girls believed to be at risk of the practice to live at a particular address so that authorities can check whether they have been subjected to it. Victims are also given lifelong anonymity.

Speaking at the time, the justice minister Mike Penning said: “We are introducing an unprecedented package of measures to strengthen protection for victims, encourage them to report the crime to the police and get support.

“We also want to prosecute those who knowingly let this terrible abuse happen to children they are responsible for. We know that legislation alone cannot eradicate this unacceptable practice. But it is important that we change the law where necessary.”

Equalities and justice minister Caroline Dinenage said: “We have fast-tracked these protection orders to make sure women and girls facing the awful threat of FGM can be kept safe.

“I am pleased that authorities are acting so quickly to use the powers. These orders mean girls and the communities around them now know they will have somewhere to turn, that the law is on their side and help is out there.

“The government is committed to ending FGM. We will not stop until this horrific practice is stamped out.”

Separately, a Scotland Yard spokesman said that officers from the specialist crime and operations command were looking to reports that a large number of girls on a flight from Heathrow to Ethiopia on 11 July may have been at risk of FGM.

As some schools broke up for the summer holidays on Friday, Bedfordshire police seized the passports of two young girls who it was thought could be taken to Africa to be mutilated.

Police obtained the court order under a new power which came into force on Friday. Breaching it is a criminal offence.

DCI Nick Bellingham, from Bedfordshire police’s public protection unit, said: “This legislation is a really positive step forward in the fight against this horrific, cruel crime, and we’re pleased to have been able to enforce it today by issuing a protection order.

“With schools breaking up for the summer holidays today, we will continue to use this legislation where needed to prevent young girls who we believe may be at risk from being taken out of the country.

“This is child abuse, and we will do everything in our power to ensure that children are kept safe and that those responsible are caught,” said Bellingham.

FGM is a procedure that partially or completely removes the external female genital organs for non-medical reasons.

Bedfordshire police said it was estimated that more than 20,000 girls younger than 15 in the UK were at risk of FGM each year, but very few cases are reported.

Signs that FGM may have been inflicted on a child include a lengthy absence from school, health problems including bladder and menstrual trouble, complaints about pain between their legs, and behavioral changes, police said.

A child may also talk about being taken away for a special ceremony, or say that something has happened to them which they are not allowed to talk about.

Bellingham said: “A change in law isn’t in itself enough to end this barbaric practice. I’d urge anyone who suspects that a child is at risk of FGM to contact police immediately.”

The change in the law was announced October last year, amid the Guardian’s End FGM campaign.

Besides the protection orders, the Serious Crime Act 2015 allows judges to remand people in custody, order mandatory medical checks and instruct girls believed to be at risk of the practice to live at a particular address so that authorities can check whether they have been subjected to it. Victims are also given lifelong anonymity.

Speaking at the time, the justice minister Mike Penning said: “We are introducing an unprecedented package of measures to strengthen protection for victims, encourage them to report the crime to the police and get support.

“We also want to prosecute those who knowingly let this terrible abuse happen to children they are responsible for. We know that legislation alone cannot eradicate this unacceptable practice. But it is important that we change the law where necessary.”

Equalities and justice minister Caroline Dinenage said: “We have fast-tracked these protection orders to make sure women and girls facing the awful threat of FGM can be kept safe.

“I am pleased that authorities are acting so quickly to use the powers. These orders mean girls and the communities around them now know they will have somewhere to turn, that the law is on their side and help is out there.

“The government is committed to ending FGM. We will not stop until this horrific practice is stamped out.”

Separately, a Scotland Yard spokesman said that officers from the specialist crime and operations command were looking to reports that a large number of girls on a flight from Heathrow to Ethiopia on 11 July may have been at risk of FGM.

Do you believe that FGM is practiced in the U.S.?  What are your thoughts on how far we have come towards the goal of eradicating FGM in the world?

On Thursday, July 23, 2015, The African Immigrants & Senior Citizen Institute will collaborate with Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation in a teleconference discussion on the culture of silence in the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM).

The discussion is hosted by Ms. Beatrice Doris Dzameshie as part of her lecture series on empowering women.  Her guest panelists are Angela Peabody and Amie Jallah, President and Vice President of Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation respectively.

We invite you to join the 90-minute discussion during the Q&A by dialing in at (712) 775-7035, and when prompted, enter the conference access code, 237209#.  The discussion begins at 8:00pm Eastern Time and ends promptly at 9:30pm Eastern Time.

For more information on the teleconference, please contact the African Immigrants & Senior Citizen Institute at (301)875-3610 or send an email to aiscii.org@gmail.com. You are not required to register prior to the teleconference; you may dial in at 8:00pm and you will be entered into the conference.  We look forward to speaking with you on the call!

 

This story was first published by the Nursing Times in the U.K.  We run the stories from the U.K. to help educate the U.S. public on FGM, since the U.K. has made great strides toward ending the practice of FGM.  Clinicians must know the difference between recording and reporting female genital mutilation, according to new UK guidance on the issue.

The guidelines also state that pregnancy provides a major opportunity for health professionals to identify FGM and all hospitals should have a named midwife responsible for caring for women that have suffered the procedure.

They noted that the clinical management of women with FGM requires high quality care that is “accessible, sensitive and informed”.

“This guideline, drawing on the latest scientific evidence and expert opinion, provides further clarity on how healthcare professionals should manage FGM”

The guidance – titled Female Genital Mutilation and its Management – was published today by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and is an updated version of guidance from 2009.

It stated that pregnancy “presents a key opportunity” for healthcare professionals to identify women with FGM and, therefore, to provide information and advice, address healthcare needs and assess the risk to the unborn child or other female family members.

The guideline also provides evidence-based advice on the clinical care of women with FGM before, during and after pregnancy – including legal and regulatory responsibilities.

It said that clinicians must be aware of the short- and long-term complications of FGM, including scarring, urinary infections, menstrual difficulties, impaired sexual function, painful sexual intercourse, obstetric complications and psychological trauma.

In addition, the guidance emphasizes that all healthcare professionals must be aware of the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and the Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act 2005 in Scotland (see box below).

• FGM is illegal unless it is a surgical operation on a girl or woman which is necessary for her physical or mental health or for purposes connected with labor or childbirth
• It is illegal to arrange, or assist in arranging for a UK national or UK resident to be taken overseas for the purpose of FGM
• It is an offence to fail to protect a girl from risk of FGM, including those who have parental responsibility
• If FGM is confirmed in a girl less than 18 years of age, reporting to the police is mandatory

The guidance notes that the Department of Health has implemented the FGM Enhanced Dataset in England in order to ensure a consistent approach to data monitoring.

It requires all acute trusts, general practices and mental health trusts to record data about women with FGM on a monthly basis.

The guidance stated that healthcare professionals “must understand the difference” between recording FGM for the dataset and reporting FGM to the police or social services.

There should be a lead consultant or midwife responsible for the care of women with FGM in all hospitals, it also said.

Meanwhile, the guideline addresses treatment via de-infibulation and clitoral reconstruction.

Women who are likely to benefit from de-infibulation should be counseled and offered the procedure before pregnancy and ideally before first sexual intercourse, it said.

“Midwives have a pivotal role to play in identifying and supporting women who have undergone FGM”

Clitoral reconstruction should not be performed because current evidence suggests that there are associated complication rates without conclusive evidence of benefit, it added.

Dr. Manish Gupta, co-chair of the RCOG Guidelines Committee, said: “This guideline, drawing on the latest scientific evidence and expert opinion, provides further clarity on how healthcare professionals should manage FGM, as well as the organization of services for women with FGM.

“The guideline is intended for use alongside established training programs and we urge all healthcare professionals caring for women and girls to undertake Health Education England’s FGM e-learning program,” he said.

Dr. Gupta added: “Trusts have a responsibility to ensure that all women with FGM can access specialist FGM services, and that their staff has received appropriate training.”

The Royal College of Midwives welcomed the updated guidance and said it provided good information for health professionals working in maternity services.

Janet Fyle, the RCM’s professional policy advisor, said: “Midwives have a pivotal role to play in identifying and supporting women who have undergone FGM.

“Meeting a midwife is often the first time that many of these women will engage with health services,” she said. “Consequently we must ensure that midwives have the training, time and knowledge of the services needed to support women.”

“We’re here to support them with any of the complex questions or concerns they may have about FGM”

Kam Thandi called on trusts and other employers to ensure their staff had the appropriate training on FGM, with clear national guidelines and pathways in place, and mechanisms for monitoring effectiveness.

The initiative comprises a dedicated 24/7 team of advisors who have recently received additional training from FGM specialist midwives in order to provide an enhanced service for NHS staff.

Kam Thandi, head of the NSPCC FGM helpline, said: “We understand the pressure that health professionals face in extremely fast-paced and busy environments and we’re here to support them with any of the complex questions or concerns they may have about FGM.

“Our team of practitioners, trained by specialist FGM midwives, can help NHS staff assess the situation and discuss what to do next, including signposting to other services which may be able to help.”

Vanessa Lodge, NHS England’s director of nursing for North, Central and East London and chair of the national FGM steering group, said: “By calling the helpline, doctors and nurses can talk through their concerns, clarify risks and seek advice on taking appropriate action to protect the women and girls at risk.”

She described FGM as a “terrible scourge” and said the helpline was a “great step forward in protecting women at risk” from it.