Female Genital Mutilation
What it is and how to get help
This guide discusses Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), a topic that can be very upsetting or difficult to read about. If you find the content distressing, we recommend not reading the guide independently. Instead, please seek the support of any relevant professionals such as teachers, social workers or health professionals.
EASY READ GUIDE
What can you find in this guide?
What is Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)?
Who might be in danger of experiencing FGM?
Where does FGM take place?
Why does FGM happen?
How can you tell if someone might be at risk of FGM?
What are the consequences of FGM?
Is FGM against the law?
What kind of help is available for those who have undergone FGM?
How can you support and assist in preventing FGM?
About Mojatu
2
What is Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)?
FGM is also known as cutting.
It is when someone harms a girl's private parts for no medical reason.
It can involve pricking, cutting, or sewing.
Every girl and woman has a vulva. The vulva has many different parts:
In FGM, various parts of a girl or woman's private area can be cut or harmed. This can vary depending on the country and culture.
3
Urethra Labia Vagina
Clitoris
Where does FGM take place?
FGM usually happens a lot in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, but it can happen anywhere in the world.
Other names FGM is called include:
Sunna
Gudniin
Female Circumcision
Cut Halalays
FGM is painful, against the law and usually done without the consent of the victims.
FGM usually happens to young girls between infancy and puberty.
4
Why does FGM happen?
Some communities and cultures think FGM helps girls and women by getting them ready for marriage or protecting their virginity.
FGM is not a practice that belongs to any religion.
FGM is a harmful thing that hurts girls and has no health benefits.
There are no good reasons to do it.
It only causes physical and emotional problems for the girls who experience it.
5
How can you tell if someone might be at risk of FGM?
When a girl runs away or plans to run away from home or school.
When a girl is away from school for a long time or when they don't come back when expected.
When a girl mentions a special ceremony where she "becomes a woman" or "is prepared for marriage,"
When a family decides to go on vacation to a country where FGM practice is common.
Where a relative or a person known as ‘a cutter’ is visiting from abroad.
6
What happens to girls/women who experience FGM?
A girl may experience ongoing pain, heavy bleeding, and can also develop infections.
She might find it hard and painful to urinate or have her period.
After going through the trauma of FGM, victims can have emotional problems for a long time.
It can prevent a woman from experiencing pleasure during sex.
In the future, a woman may encounter difficulties when she wants to have a baby
7
Is FGM against the law?
Yes, a person who does the following acts breaks the law and can go to prison:
Cutting a girl in the UK or abroad. Helping a girl cut themselves inside or outside the UK.
Helping anyone to cut a girl abroad When a parent who fails to protect a girl
8
What kind of help is available for those who have undergone FGM?
If affected by FGM, you can speak to your GP,midwife,health visitor or visit a sexual health clinic.
If you are a survivor of FGM,surgery might be offered if:
a) You are unable to have sex or have difficulty going to the toilet.
b) You are pregnant and at risk of problems during labour or delivery.
There are also informal group support sessions,that provide a safe place to share your experiences with other survivors, alongside specialists e.g. Mojatu Coffee Mornings
You can also speak to a counsellor to help deal with the trauma.
9
and
in preventing FGM? If you or a friend are in danger of having FGM, tell someone you can trust such as a teacher,nurse,doctor as soon as you can. You can call the police on 999 if you need immediate help For other concerns around children or FGM, you can contact the following: NSPCC Helpline on 0800 028 3550 Nottingham City Council Children and Families direct line: 0115 876 4800. If you are abroad, you call the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on +44 (0)20 7008 1500. 10
How can you support
assist
ABOUT MOJATU
Mojatu Foundation is an organization
that helps and supports Black, Asian, minority ethnic (BAME) communities Nottingham who face prejudice and a often ignored.
They fight against discrimination a racial inequalities, providing opportunities and skills to these communities so
they can participate fully in society.
Mojatu foundation prioritize girls and women, running empowerment initiatives in the UK and Africa, believing that improving their lives creates positive change in their communities.
They actively campaign against FGM, training and employing girls and women to become "Community Champions" who report on the issues affecting them.
Their efforts in Nottingham led to the city declaring itself a zero-tolerance zone for FGM, setting an example for other cities in the UK and around the world.
For more information on Mojatu Fondation, please flip the page
11
01157846666 Mojatu.foundation mojatu.foundation www.mojatufoundation.org 07759927671 MojatuF info@mojatufoundation.org The Howitt Building, Lenton Boulevard, Nottingham, NG7 2BG
