Although the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) has grown in salience both within the UK and internationally, particularly in recent years, there has been a distinct lack of progress by successive governments to tackle the issue effectively. The home affairs committee report, Female Genital Mutilation: The Case for a National Action Plan, critically addresses these shortcomings and proposes how these may be overcome.
Crucially though, given the lack of action so far, it seems reasonable to ask how seriously the government is taking the issue, and whether this report will lead to any tangible changes. For example, FGM has been illegal in the UK since 1985, yet this year is the first time anyone has actually been prosecuted. While the report does discuss why it is difficult to bring a case of FGM to court, it does not excuse the fact that there have been several decades since the 1985 Act was passed in which to strengthen the will and capacity of the police and CPS to bring a successful prosecution. This impunity not only leads to girls in the UK being put at risk, but undermines the credibility of development organisations such as the Department for International Development in working on FGM projects abroad due to their inability to prevent the practice in their home country.
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