Agenda item

To examine what the Council and partner organisations have in place to deal with and prevent FGM.

7.         FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION

7.1       The Committee received a report outlining the actions that were currently being taken to prevent Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Westminster.  The Committee noted that as many as 770 school age girls in Westminster could be at risk of FGM with some 250 at a high risk.

7.2       The Committee heard from Debbie Raymond, Head of Safeguarding and Quality, how FGM was a form of child abuse that was complex, sudden, traumatic and hidden and that preventative approaches were the only way to effectively protect girls from harm.  The Committee noted the steps taken to prevent FGM including an innovative based project based at St Mary’s Hospital and an extensive programme of community engagement work.  The Committee also noted the new mandatory reporting in relation of FGM.

7.3       The Committee welcomed Filsan Ali, Director of the Midaye Somalia Development Network, who discussed with the Committee the design and delivery of the FGM community based project.  The Committee heard that it was very important that the community drove the project in order for it to have an impact on families’ cultural beliefs.  The Committee noted that FGM was a very sensitive issue and that it was easier for the community centre to encourage people to open up about FGM than traditional statutory services.

7.4       The Committee also welcomed Mohammed Hussein, Male Project Officer, who discussed with the Committee working with young men, fathers and Imams on FGM. The Committee heard that FGM was manly controlled by men in the community but that they were not involved or engaged in the whole FGM process and rarely understood the psychological and health problems it caused to women.  The Committee noted that educating the whole community around the health and legal implications of FGM was essential in preventing it.

7.5       Some of the key issues that emerged from the Committee’s discussion were:

• the importance of having a male project worker which could directly engage with males in the community to discuss the impact of FGM on girls.

• the importance of the summer campaign which aimed to raise awareness in communities and throughout professional networks about the risk to girls over the summer months.
• the importance of holding FGM discussions during community events/forums, in schools and mosques.
• the need for sustainable funding for this important ground-breaking project.
• the factors considered when identifying girls at risk, the different types of FGM performed and the misconception that FGM was a religious practice.
• the importance of the community understanding both how harmful FGM was to women and the legal implications of continuing to carry out this practice.
• the need for all social workers and practitioners to receive appropriate training.

7.6       The Chairman thanked everyone who had given up their time to attend the            meeting and contribute to the discussion.

7.7       RESOLVED: The Committee made the following comments which would be forwarded to the Cabinet Member for Children and Young People for consideration:

1.    The Committee welcomed the report and supported the efforts of the Council

to work with community organisations to tackle FGM.

2.    The Committee highlighted the importance of engaging with men as well as women on addressing some of the beliefs around FGM and supported the proactive engagement with religious leaders to highlight the health problems and dangers of FGM for women.

3.    The Committee supported the need for sustainable funding for the project and supported efforts to identify funding from various sources.

4.    The Committee emphasised the importance that all social workers and practitioners were trained in countering FGM and the issues involved.