FGM (female genital mutilation or ‘cutting’) is embarrassing for us in the mainstream of British life even to consider; but it’s excruciating and debilitating for its young victims.

This is one topic where grown-up people must not permit their queasiness to over-rule their sense of decency.  FGM, both as a procedure and as procurement (whether in the UK or elsewhere) is unequivocally illegal; but as yet no prosecutions have been secured. And this despite the chilling fact that over 20,00 babies and girls in the UK are thought to be at risk annually.  That’s over 50 every day, or 2+ an hour, and the number rising.

Politicians and others in authority may shamefacedly shy away, but enough noise from the rest of will make it easier for them to do their job, protecting defenceless small children – the two British girls and babies who every hour are not receiving the protection to which they are so fundamentally entitled.

Please sign and forward this e-petition (for UK citizens), posted 25 June 2012 on the HM Government website:

STOP Female Genital Mutilation (FGM / ‘cutting’) in Britain

If you have a Twitter account and would like to draw more attention to this issue, please use the hashtag   #NoFGM  and follow  @NoFGM1.  Thank you.

The unease of people who would prefer not to face the facts will be overcome only if others openly confront what’s happening in the supposedly child safe haven of Britain.  Before long now FGM in the UK will become ‘news’ – there are currently two or three people on bail pending decisions on action; and at that point moral panic will be stirred by the media.

At some point further down the line, accusations of professional misconduct by failing to protect at risk children will surely follow.

This is not a matter to be addressed ‘in due course’.  The statistics suggest that, as you read this, yet another child has been abused, a victim of this barbaric, often permanently damaging and sometimes lethal rite of passage which must be stopped. Now.

There are other ways for the communities concerned to mark the life transitions of young children (see the post on cultural change, below), but in any case the choice is not in their gift to continue the truly awful practice of FGM.  It’s very rightly illegal.

Our task, from the outside, can be only to demand that the law is upheld.  Opening the discussion up as a public agenda will help the powers that be to ensure this happens, soon.  We will stop shouting when there is no longer any need to shout.

For further information, and for links to original data / material discussed in this post, please visit

FGM: The Difficult Debates (Fe/Male? Inter/National?)

FGM In Britain: Professional Culpability, Public Responsibility, Private Peril

FGM – Professional Neglect; Legitimate Moral Panic

FGM is a universal horror, not just in Britain

Women under threat world-wide (still); demand action now.

FGM (female circumcision) is illegal and cruel – and culturally challengeable everywhere

If you have a Twitter account and would like to draw more attention to this issue, please use the hashtag   #NoFGM  and follow  @NoFGM1.  Thank you.