Female Genital Mutilation and that time of year Again - Summer

EVERY year around July and August, thousands of girls disappear from homes and schools for extended holidays never to return the same again. We should all be vigilant and it’s every man and woman’s responsibility to ensure our future generation’s safety from this barbaric practice. It was established a long time ago that this practice had no value in girls and women’s life and rather does damage to the both body and psyche.

Summer generally is what is called ‘the cutting season’ by FGM practicing communities which also means that people have often taken girls abroad in the summer holidays to have this done. Let’s remember school holidays are a part of the annual “cutting season” where girls younger than 15 are sent to visit relatives only to have their genitalia mutilated using knives, scissors or pieces of glass and sometimes sewn up using thorns.

To make it worse due to the awareness that has been taking place now, people now use all sorts of channels to take girls to Africa to be cut. People are now doing all sorts, some even inviting parents and grandparents from FGM practising communities to visit the UK to do the cutting, so family members –let’s remember what is wrong is wrong and FGM is a crime against women.

If you notice any changes in your neighbour, friends and relatives kids please contact the officials. This is a barbaric practice and no one should be going through this in the 21^st Century.  It has been proved beyond doubt how dangerous this is to girls and women. Aiding and abetting is a crime too. Let’s all stand together against FGM.

 Let’s show female genital mutilation the red card this summer!