Kids Count at the Lib Dem Party Conference

Female genital mutilation

One of the major topics discussed throughout the Lib Dem party conference was tackling the problem of child abuse – more specifically the subject of FGM (female genital mutilation). As you already might know, FGM (sometimes referred to as female circumcision) refers to procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The practice is illegal in the UK.?

According to the statistics gathered by the NHS, more than 200,000 girls under the age of 15 are at risk of female genital mutilation each year and 66,000 women in the UK suffer and live with the consequences of FGM.?

Government ministers Norman Baker and Lynne Featherstone both referred to FGM as “child abuse”. This is due the fact that children are forced, without their permission, to undergo this horrible circumcision.?

Throughout their speeches they touched on the idea that the problem can only be tackled if this practice is eliminated worldwide and one way to do so is by making hospitals provide information about FGM to people who suffered or are at risk of suffering from it.?

Similarly, like Baker and Featherstone, I believe that FGM is the physical representation of “child abuse”, resulting from strong beliefs.

Normally, I do respect people's cultures and religions but I strongly believe that no matter what you believe in, it is right to obey the laws of the country, therefore people who wish to live in the UK have to understand that FGM is illegal and whoever wishes to make their children go through this horrible act would be sentenced as they will be breaking the law.?

In my opinion in order to tackle and reduce the problem of FGM, courts should impose strong consequences if people are found to have broken this law. We need to start educating more young females from a young age about FGM, so that they would be aware if this horrible act was going to happen to them and hopefully be able to stop it before it is too late.?

Julia is blogging on behalf of Kids Count, a think-tank focused on the practical rather than the theoretical. Find out more at www.kidscount.org.uk