Helen Grant MP
By Helen Grant MP
Minister for Women and Equalities 2012 – 2014
Female Genital Mutilation, commonly referred to as FGM, is an abhorrent crime as well as an extremely painful and harmful practice that blights the lives of so many young girls and women.
My first encounters with the practice was through my profession as a family law solicitor for 23 years before becoming a Member of Parliament in 2010. As Minister for Women and Equalities from 2012 until 2014, the eradication of FGM was an important aspect of my role within the British legislature and I continue with that fight today.
The practice of FGM is age-old and deeply steeped in the culture and tradition of certain communities. No doubt those who still practise it genuinely believe that conforming to custom is in their children’s best interests. The reality remains, however, that FGM is a gross violation of human rights that can produce devastating consequences for the health of a young girl. The physical and psychological effects can last throughout her life and has no place in a modern society.
The Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 significantly extended the protection the law provides for these vulnerable young victims, including new extraterritorial offences to deter people from taking girls abroad for mutilation and an increase in the maximum penalty upon conviction to 14 years from the previous maximum of 5 years.
Whilst there have now been prosecutions under the 2003 Act, we are still to see a successful conviction and that is a real problem.
It is not a reflection of the effectiveness of the law itself, as some commentators have inferred. If offences are reported to the police, and evidential and public interest tests for prosecution are met, perpetrators can be dealt with. But these are proving to be tough hurdles in this particular type of abuse. At the time the mutilation is carried out, many victims may be too young, too vulnerable, or too afraid to report offences. They may also be very reluctant to implicate family members – something that is true in many areas of domestic violence. The Law is at the mercy of a willingness to report and cannot be the sword and shield of Justice unless, and until, people are empowered enough to speak up and speak out.
What can be done to break this apparent impasse? The UK Government is working hard on prevention by raising awareness of the issue and there has been some good cross-departmental work undertaken between the Ministry of Justice, the Home Office and the Department of Health. Raising awareness is critical to ensure those who continue to practice FGM are in no uncertainty over how it is viewed by the rest of the developed world. It is also vital that the younger generations coming through are also aware that FGM is not the norm but that it is completely unacceptable, and that they can break the tradition if they choose to do so.
And that is the ultimate weapon in this battle. We need social change within communities to enable the abandonment of the practice. It is a sad fact that older women, who are themselves victims of FGM, are often the strongest advocates for continuance. I am encouraged that many of today’s young women are speaking out against the practice and are educating their peers of the dangers. Hopefully, with support, it will be this generation that helps to end the cycle of mutilation once and for all. I am grateful to The Trumpet for allowing me to speak on this issue and in doing so, helping raise awareness even further in this important campaign.