WIREDGOV

A new pocket guide to the UK law on female genital mutilation will be soon be made available to girls at risk to help them speak out against the practice, Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone announced recently.

The leaflet A Declaration Against Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) for Families and Girls, is designed to slip in the back of a passport allowing girls to present it as a formal document to friends or family reminding them that FGM is against the law in the UK.

It will also set out what the penalties are for offenders, including a maximum fourteen year custodial sentence, as well as advice on help and support.

Helping victims

Last week the minister met with a group of young people who work closely with girls affected by FGM. Representatives from Integrate Bristol and Daughters of Eve shared their views on how the issue affects their communities and told the minister what they have achieved locally with victims and potential victims, with the help of government funding. 

The minister praised the efforts of all those working with affected communities and shared details on what is being done by the government to help tackle this abhorrent crime. This includes a programme of awareness and community support activities over the summer, such as working with the Metropolitan Police on awareness training, creating a short film on FGM, distributing information leaflets in various languages to help victims and publishing guidelines for frontline staff to help them identify women and girls at risk.

Abhorrent crime

Equalities Minister Lynne Featherstone said: 'Female Genital Mutilation is an abhorrent crime and we are very clear that those found to practice it should feel the full force of the law. As a government, we are also working with UK and international agencies to help prevent women and girls being subjected to this horrific practice.'