The Home Office has launched an awareness campaign to 'protect our girls'- something designed to help eradicate the horrific crime of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), last week.
The campaign sends a powerful message that communities should protect children from people who carry out this horrific practice, as it is child abuse and this will not be tolerated in the UK.
Through the tagline ‘Let’s Protect our Girls’, the Government want to ensure young girls and families know about the life altering health consequences of FGM. These can include, childbirth complications, period problems, scarring, mental health issues and urinary infections.
Home Secretary Sajid Javid said, “Female Genital Mutilation has no place in modern society. It is repulsive, unethical and leaves victims with emotional and physical scars that last a lifetime.
“We have launched this important campaign to make it clear to everyone that the practice is illegal and has serious health consequences. I urge everyone to help protect girls at risk by spreading the messages.”
The design and messaging of the campaign was created in consultation with FGM victims and activists including the NSPCC, Forward UK, Midaye Somali Women’s Network, The Girl Generation and IKWRO.
The campaign comes after NHS England statistics released in July show that between April 2017 and March this year, 6,195 individual women and girls had FGM identified or treatment related to it. However, FGM is still a hidden crime. A 2015 prevalence study by City University and Equality Now, which was part-funded by the Home Office, estimated that 137,000 women and girls who have migrated to England and Wales are living with the consequences of FGM.
The campaign will be placed into communities where, according to these statistics, FGM may be most prevalent. It is the latest action the Government is taking to tackle so-called ‘Honour-Based Violence’.
