Important message for Summer: FGM

This article has been brought to you by Slough Borough Council's Education Safeguarding Professional, Jatinder Matharu, for the attention of all Schools.

Female Genital Mutilation also known as FGM practice can happen all year round, however we are aware that the long summer holiday can be a time when young girls are taken abroad to have the procedure done.

As summer is fast approaching, it is important as partners that we can get key messages out to young girls around FGM and honour based/force marriage. It is paramount that we raise the profile of these unsafe and harmful practices as many incidents also occur in the UK.

Signs FGM might happen include:

A relative or someone known as a ‘cutter’ is visiting from abroad.
A special occasion or ceremony takes place where a girl ‘becomes a woman’ or is ‘prepared for marriage’.
A female relative, like a mother, sister or aunt has undergone FGM.
A family arranges a long holiday overseas or visits family abroad during the summer holidays.
A girl has an unexpected or long absence from school.
A girl struggles to keep up in school.
A girl runs away – or plans to run away from home.

Attached are three leaflets and poster which can be utilised to raise awareness and included below are various resources you can access to start the conversation around FGM ahead of the summer break.

Oxford Against Cutting (OAC) is committed to working to help prevent female genital mutilation (FGM) and honour-based abuse (HBA) of girls and women living in the Thames Valley. There are some fantastic resources, including short video slips, teaching resources including lesson plans. Click here for more resources. OAC (oxfordagainstcutting.org)

The Slough Safeguarding Partnership have a range of leaflets in different languages you can access here: Slough Safeguarding Children Partnership - Female Genital Mutilation (sloughsafeguardingpartnership.org.uk)

Promote the NSPCC’s FGM helpline on 0800 028 3550 or email fgmhelp@nspcc.org.uk | Further information can be found here: Protecting children from female genital mutilation (FGM) | NSPCC Learning

FORWARD has played a key role in placing FGM on the national and global agenda as a violation of human rights and women’s issues highlighting the links between FGM and other harmful practices Female genital mutilation | FORWARD (forwarduk.org.uk)

Barnardo’s are working with the National FGM Centre in partnership with the Local Government Association (LGA). The centre provides specialist social work intervention to local authorities, alongside training for professionals across the UK Female genital mutilation (FGM) | Barnardo's (barnardos.org.uk)