Members of SI Cannock & District joined members from other clubs within Midland Chase Region to mark International Women’s Day on March 8th by holding a conference to raise awareness and understanding of Female Genital Mutilation, or FGM.
The event was informative and at times emotional, even harrowing. There were 4 speakers: Lilli Loveday from “28 Too Many” spoke of the work of the charity in the 28 countries in Africa where FGM, or cutting, is prevalent. Antonia Bright from Working for Justice gave information on the Asylum process in this country – many women escaping their country of birth because of the practice of FGM seek asylum here, their path is not an easy one. Carol McCormickspoke of the issue from the perspective of women in the UK and the difficulties they face, she is a midwife and Senior Practitioner for FGM in Nottingham. The most emotional speaker was Maimuna Jawo, a Ugandan woman who has been in this country for a while and is currently seeking asylum here. She is ‘the cutter’ for her tribe at home and wishes to stop the practice; she is an incredibly brave woman who has been interviewed and reported on TV and in the press. Her story affected everyone who heard it.
FGM is a cultural practice, not religious in any way; it is totally harmful to girls and women with no medical benefits whatsoever. It has been illegal in this country since 1985. Until one week ago, even though there have been many reports to the Police and other agencies, there have been no prosecutions; two people have been charged with carrying out this illegal practice in the last few days
All clubs within Midland Chase Region will be focusing on this issue over the coming months to raise awareness and to work towards stopping the practice. More information can be found at www.28toomany.org ; www.mfj.ueaa.net and www.sigbi.org