2013-05-22T15:27:37-04:00 Ann-Marie Wilson http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=annmarie-wilson Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Ann-Marie Wilson Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2629363 2013-02-06T07:31:32-05:00 2013-04-08T05:12:01-04:00

Ann-Marie Wilson http://www.huffingtonpost.com/annmarie-wilson/
Today (6 February) is the International Day for Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation, Campaigners and activists will use the much needed profile that an international awareness day can bring to renew efforts to eliminate this harmful traditional practice.

FGM (sometimes also known as female genital cutting or FGC) is an ancient cultural practice dating back over 2,000 years and involves the cutting or removal of the external genitals. It is most often performed on girls at or around the onset of puberty but is also carried out on babies of a few days' old up to fully grown women. Traditionally FGM is carried out by non-medically trained women, normally in unsterile conditions and without anaesthetic. It is often taboo and carried out clandestinely which makes it difficult to accurately record and put in place preventative measures.

Globally it is estimated that three million girls undergo FGM each year. This staggering number means that if you take five minutes to read this blog then that is equivalent to 30 girls being cut somewhere in the world. Some will die during the procedure and many will have life-long problems including: pain; HIV/AIDS infection; difficulty having sex; complications during pregnancy; obstructed labour; and, increased maternal and infant mortality.

There was good progress during 2012 towards raising the profile of FGM. Internationally the United Nations passed a resolution calling for the elimination of FGM in December 2012, FGM was discussed at the European Parliament and at the inaugural Trust Women Conference in London. There have also been advances in many individual countries and in the UK over the last year there has been a growing awareness of FGM with articles in mainstream media, parliamentary debates and publication of an action plan on improving prosecutions for FGM by the Director of Public Prosecutions. That FGM is now being openly discussed and prioritised is thanks to many anti-FGM campaigners who have worked hard for years to get this secretive and harmful traditional practice to be properly addressed.

We are optimistic that even more can be done in 2013 to bring about the elimination of FGM. It will be on the agenda at the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in March 2013 and I will be speaking at several events. I will be talking about important issues such as the need for better information about FGM, sharing and learning about different approaches to ending FGM and looking to set clear international goals about how governments, NGOs and communities can work together better.

It will not be easy to make progress but now is the time to build on what has already been achieved and accelerate the pace of change. FGM is complicated, difficult and sensitive. So are lots of other things in life but if they are important we find ways to get them done anyway. The fact that it is a challenge is not a good enough reason to stand by and do nothing while another generation of girls is cut.

My vision is for the world to be a place where every woman is safe, healthy and lives free from FGM. We believe doing our best to make this happen is the very least we can do for girls like Fatima. Let's help them end FGM in their lifetime.

Dr Ann-Marie Wilson is the founder of 28 Too Many www.28toomany.org and a Tearfund Inspired Individual www.inspiredindividual.org]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.2629364 2013-02-06T07:31:32-05:00 2013-04-08T05:12:01-04:00

Ann-Marie Wilson http://www.huffingtonpost.com/annmarie-wilson/
Today (6 February) is the International Day for Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation, Campaigners and activists will use the much needed profile that an international awareness day can bring to renew efforts to eliminate this harmful traditional practice.

FGM (sometimes also known as female genital cutting or FGC) is an ancient cultural practice dating back over 2,000 years and involves the cutting or removal of the external genitals. It is most often performed on girls at or around the onset of puberty but is also carried out on babies of a few days' old up to fully grown women. Traditionally FGM is carried out by non-medically trained women, normally in unsterile conditions and without anaesthetic. It is often taboo and carried out clandestinely which makes it difficult to accurately record and put in place preventative measures.

Globally it is estimated that three million girls undergo FGM each year. This staggering number means that if you take five minutes to read this blog then that is equivalent to 30 girls being cut somewhere in the world. Some will die during the procedure and many will have life-long problems including: pain; HIV/AIDS infection; difficulty having sex; complications during pregnancy; obstructed labour; and, increased maternal and infant mortality.

There was good progress during 2012 towards raising the profile of FGM. Internationally the United Nations passed a resolution calling for the elimination of FGM in December 2012, FGM was discussed at the European Parliament and at the inaugural Trust Women Conference in London. There have also been advances in many individual countries and in the UK over the last year there has been a growing awareness of FGM with articles in mainstream media, parliamentary debates and publication of an action plan on improving prosecutions for FGM by the Director of Public Prosecutions. That FGM is now being openly discussed and prioritised is thanks to many anti-FGM campaigners who have worked hard for years to get this secretive and harmful traditional practice to be properly addressed.

We are optimistic that even more can be done in 2013 to bring about the elimination of FGM. It will be on the agenda at the UN Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in March 2013 and I will be speaking at several events. I will be talking about important issues such as the need for better information about FGM, sharing and learning about different approaches to ending FGM and looking to set clear international goals about how governments, NGOs and communities can work together better.

It will not be easy to make progress but now is the time to build on what has already been achieved and accelerate the pace of change. FGM is complicated, difficult and sensitive. So are lots of other things in life but if they are important we find ways to get them done anyway. The fact that it is a challenge is not a good enough reason to stand by and do nothing while another generation of girls is cut.

My vision is for the world to be a place where every woman is safe, healthy and lives free from FGM. We believe doing our best to make this happen is the very least we can do for girls like Fatima. Let's help them end FGM in their lifetime.

Dr Ann-Marie Wilson is the founder of 28 Too Many www.28toomany.org and a Tearfund Inspired Individual www.inspiredindividual.org]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.2177376 2012-11-23T19:00:00-05:00 2013-01-23T05:12:01-05:00

Ann-Marie Wilson http://www.huffingtonpost.com/annmarie-wilson/
The statistics for violence against women and girls are truly shocking. Not only do millions suffer each year but many are victims of repeated and sustained violence - the CPS website has a grim summary of the levels of domestic violence in the UK. Then remember that many more cases of violence against women and girls are not reported and this is particularly the case with deep-rooted traditional practices like female genital mutilation (FGM).

Amina*, aged 12, returned to school in the UK in September to start Year 7 after a summer holiday to visit relatives in Africa. Her class were due to attend a swimming lesson and Amina told the PE teacher she could not join in. Her whispered excuse was that she had "been cut, down there" and was too sore. Amina was visibly upset and embarrassed so the teacher excused her from the lesson and reported the incident.

After discussion between the school and social services it was agreed that Amina may have undergone FGM and a social worker visited Amina's family. The family were angry and denied that FGM had taken place. They claimed Amina was simply embarrassed about her body changing at puberty. The social worker pointed out that FGM was illegal in the UK and it was also illegal to arrange for it to be done overseas. The family became more upset and denied FGM even more vehemently. Then Amina was brought into the room by a relative and also denied FGM. The social worker left and after consulting colleagues decided that there was no evidence and the investigation was closed. This was not a reported case of FGM.

Several years later, Amina, suffering from depression and low self-esteem was referred to a specialist counsellor and it was confirmed that she had undergone FGM when she was 12. Due to a combination of coercion from her family, fear of being sent away and/or having her parents arrested she had denied the FGM to the social worker and had been secretly living with the consequences. Sadly this is not an uncommon scenario.

So what can be done to ensure girls like Amina are protected in the future? Clearly immediate actions should be taken to inform, educate and train professionals in education, health, law enforcement and social services in FGM and child safety needs to be the clear priority. Girls at risk need to be protected, survivors supported and those carrying out FGM prosecuted. There is also a need to inform and educate the wider community: not just people already in the UK but those applying to move here need to know that FGM is illegal and carrying out FGM or aiding and abetting others to do so will result in prosecution. We also need to review sex education for young people. If girls like Amina know about the risks of FGM they are better able to ask for help before it happens to them.

I also believe we need to use days like the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women as part of a sustained campaign to raise awareness nationally and internationally of all forms of gender-based violence including FGM and increase pressure on policy makers to prioritise actions to support survivors, prosecute perpetrators and break the cycles of on-going violence.

Over the next 12 months there is a good opportunity to make real progress, build support internationally and push for specific action on violence against women. In March 2013 the United Nations will hold the 57th session of its Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) and the priority theme is the prevention and elimination of all forms of violence against women and girls. Activists are already lobbying for clear commitments from all UN member countries to tackle gender-based violence. 28 Too Many is working with other anti-FGM charities, governments and pressure groups to ensure that FGM is included in these discussions.

Then in June 2013 the UK will host the next G8 Summit at which global leaders will discuss a range of issues including international development. This is another key event to lobby for action. Violence against women and girls is a major barrier to achieving the UN Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) which were agreed in 2000. As discussions take place to agree plans to complete the MDGs by the target completion date of 2015 and to establish the development agenda for post-2015 it is vital that violence against women and girls is a key part of the debate.

There is no quick fix and it often seems that progress in one area is countered by erosion of women's rights in another. However, despite the global economic challenges, many countries are making progress in recognising and promoting women's rights. There is much, much more to do but on this International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women let us all be hopeful. It will take a strong sense of commitment, hard work, resilience in the face of adversity, seeking agreements across geographical, political, cultural and religious boundaries and last, but not least, lots of courage but we can make a difference.

A total elimination of all violence against women and girls may be hard to imagine but each day I think about saving one girl from FGM. This means she is spared from a painful, traumatic and potentially fatal procedure. She is more likely to complete her education, is less likely to face early forced marriage, can have a healthy and fulfilling sex life, faces less risk during pregnancy and childbirth and it also breaks the cycle so that her daughters are much more likely to be safe from FGM. That is what this is really about - making a difference to individuals and enabling every girl to live free from fear and violence.

Find out more about what we do and how you can get involved at www.28toomany.org.

*Name has been changed to protect her identity.]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1686559 2012-07-19T19:00:00-04:00 2012-09-18T05:12:17-04:00

Ann-Marie Wilson http://www.huffingtonpost.com/annmarie-wilson/
The practice is no longer restricted to geographical or political boundaries, potential factors being cheap travel or migration. In fact, according to a recent Sunday Times expose, a number of health practitioners were believed to be offering to perform FGM in the UK.

FGM is a "violation so intrusive and personal that many people adopt a culture of silence as it is humiliating and embarrassing to talk about", according to Mukami McCrum MBE, policy advisor to the Scottish government on issues of violence against women.

FGM is a traditional cultural practice involving the cutting or removal of the external female genitals. It is performed for a variety of reasons - preserving virginity, improving marriage prospects or promoting cultural identity - many of which are based on untrue myths which keep the practice going. On average, girls are cut between the ages of five and eight, with a trend moving towards cutting at an even younger age.

Predominantly practised by non-medically trained women, it can result in pain and health problems ranging from depression to a risk of infection as serious as HIV. In some cases, FGM can cause complications in childbirth later in life, putting both mother and baby at risk, due to the severe damage to genitalia.

The British Medical Association recently agreed to highlight to their General Practitioners that we are approaching the Cutting Season. In the past, refugee or asylum families residing in the UK from the 28 countries in Africa where FGM is still practised, would take their girls to their home countries to be cut in the long summer holidays.

This would allow time for them to 'recover' before coming back through border control where liaison officers keep an eye out for families from FGM practising communities, as it's illegal (up to 12 years in prison) to 'aid and abet' a UK resident to have FGM in the UK or abroad. It's still hard to control as, unlike in Sweden, the UK will not examine girls at airports or, as in France, pupils are not examined by a school nurse.

Due to the cost of travel in recession-hit Britain, and influenced by greater rigour from the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, 'cutting parties' have allegedly filled a new demand. Now a lone circumciser can come to the UK and slip through passport control, to cut a number of girls in the quiet of a UK home at a 'cutting party'. The travel costs of families travelling 'home' are saved and all share the minimal costs of travel, board and lodging for one circumciser. Six weeks later, unless anything medically awful has happened, teachers may not even know it's happened, putting changes in 'mood' down to family problems or adolescent hormones, so any psychological trauma goes undetected.

Some charities or local authorities put on community health days in the summer to educate and support families, highlighting the importance of safeguarding (even suggesting not to go 'home' if FGM will happen there) The FGM Faith Based Forum is uniting Muslim, Jewish and Christian faiths to stand up against FGM, reminding communities it has no place in any 'Holy Book'.

Some UK communities have taken a strong stance against FGM. Since 2009, NHS Bristol has worked on safeguarding girls by enabling families and communities to abandon FGM and improve sexual and reproductive rights. A Community Advisory Group has been formed and 18 community women have been trained as leaders and community advocates. The last two summers, women marched through Bristol chanting 'No FGM' - with Somali, Arabic and English banners. This past weekend the University of Bristol hosted the first Young People led conference on FGM to help educate local communities on the legal and health implications of FGM.

So as your children come to the end of another school term, have a thought for the 24,000 girls at risk of FGM in the UK - who may have looked forward to a summer without homework, and invites to parties with friends - but instead will get a goody bag of emotional and health implications which will stay with them for life.

Find out how you can help end this violence against young women at www.28toomany.org]]>