Conference Committee is meeting today to discuss amendments to be taken at the Glasgow conference. An amendment to the motion on Domestic and Sexual violence concerns Female Genital Mutilation.
Yesterday international development undersecretary Lynne Featherstone told the Guardian that ending female genital mutilation is a priority for the British government. She said that Africa’s success in outlawing the centuries-old practice means the world now has the opportunity of a lifetime to consign it to history within a generation. Click here for the video.
Also yesterday, the Evening Standard reported on FGM in the capital:
More than 2,000 victims of female genital mutilation have sought treatment at London hospitals in the past three years.
The figures, revealed by the Standard today, are the most dramatic illustration so far of the impact of the barbaric practice in the capital. They also show that 298 operations to reverse unlawful “cutting” of London women have been carried out.
Hundreds of others have received treatment in an attempt to ease their pain. Cases include one girl with an “open wound” and at least 12 more involving children… A total of 2,115 FGM patients were seen between 2010 and summer this year.
The amendment
Submitted by Merton local party, Lynne Featherstone summating (if selected):
Add:
iii) The development of multi-agency guidelines for practitioners to assist in preventing further incidents of female genital mutilation and ensure that victims and potential victims receive appropriate support.
iv) The work by Lynne Featherstone in highlighting the issue of FGM in the UK and the £35m the Coalition Government has agreed to spend on helped communities to eliminate the practice
to line 2 Conference Calls for 1. Stronger Focus on prevention of domestic and sexual violence by:
Add:
e) Working with Communities in the UK where FGM is seen as an acceptable cultural practice and prosecuting those responsible for cases where girls are sent abroad to have FGM carried out or where it is carried out in the UK.
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6 Comments
I really hope this amendment gets taken. It was submitted by my local Party.
Africa may have succeeded in outlawing FGM but the practice continues, with very little in the way of secrecy.
A BBC (Newsnight?) program not long ago investigated the case of a woman who had fled the Gambia for this reason, and was to be deported back there. The program showed a cleric who argued that FGM was necessary because otherwise women faced a life of unbearable itching in that area. An illustration of his closed mind came when the woman reported said she had had a clitoris for 60 years and had never experienced that itching – the cleric laughed and said in effect that she was the exception that proved the rule!
The program showed a group of cutter women who argued that cutting gave them a necessary income. Apparently there is a charity there that is able to provide them with an alternative – £100 per year apparently is enough – but even then the women seem to feel guilty about not providing the cutting service. They felt able to ignore the screaming of girls during the cutting – roughly on the grounds that it makes them brave.
The program also suggested that mothers of Gambian girls in the UK would be expected to bring their daughters back to the Gambia for cutting, and that they could face very severe punishment if this didn’t happen.
For us, FGM is obviously an abomination, but it seems that FGM has become ingrained as part of the culture in The Gambia and also in other parts of West Africa probably including Nigeria and other countries along that coast. A very strong effort will be needed to eradicate it, probably over a lot more than 10 years, and I hope the UK continues and increases its efforts towards that end, hopefully in cooperation of others too.
Africa may have succeeded in outlawing FGM but the practice
continues, with very little in the way of secrecy.
A BBC (Newsnight?) program not long ago investigated the case
of a woman who had fled the Gambia for this reason, and was to
be deported back there. The program showed a cleric who argued
that FGM was necessary because otherwise women faced a life of
unbearable itching in that area. An illustration of his closed mind
came when the woman reporter said she had had a clitoris for 60
years and had never experienced that itching – the cleric laughed
and said in effect that she was the exception that proved the rule!
The program showed a group of cutter women who argued that
cutting gave them a necessary income. Apparently there is a charity
there that is able to provide them with an alternative – £100 per year
apparently is enough – but even then the women seem to feel guilty
about not providing the cutting service. They felt able to ignore the
screaming of girls who had to be forcibly held down during the
cutting – they said it makes the girls brave.
The program also suggested that mothers of Gambian girls in the UK
would be expected to bring their daughters back to the Gambia for
cutting, and that they could face very severe punishment if this didn’t
happen.
For us, FGM is obviously an abomination, but it seems that FGM has
become ingrained as part of the culture in The Gambia and also in other
parts of West Africa probably including Nigeria and other countries
along that coast. A very strong effort will be needed to eradicate it,
probably over a lot more than 10 years, and I hope the UK continues
and increases its efforts towards that end, hopefully in cooperation of
others too.
Post a Comment
I’m surprised we have not yet heard from the fanatical multiculturalists in this party who think this would be an offensive thing tto do to minorties. How dare we impose our cultural imperialism on others!!!!
Very cheap snipe Dave.
This is a crucial issue regarding the welfare of girls and young women, unbelievable physical cruelty and in sending a clear
message to any group – be they UK nationals or those recently settled here – that the UK will not tolerate such mental and
physical cruelty being inflicted on others. FGM and enforced marriage are two examples from other cultures and traditions
that can not be tolerated by a liberal society. I find it unbelievable that we are talking about this in 2013! As Richard says
this is going to need a concerted and long term effort to eradicate, particularly in west Africa but making it illegal in the UK
would be a good and long overdue start.
I wish the amendment every success.
Why is it cheap? All it does is show how inconsistent and intellectually sloppy some are in this party.