The International Day of
Zero Tolerance to Female Genital Mutilation
(The following letter was sent to all medical practices in the town on 6th February 2014)
Dear Doctors
Soroptimist International of Cirencester & District wish to draw your attention to the issue of Female Genital Mutilation. Our organisation, with its consultative status with the United Nations, is using 6th February, the International Day of Zero Tolerance of Female Genital Mutilation to raise awareness of the practice, which has been illegal in this country for more than 27 years.
People in the medical profession are uniquely placed to see the evidence of this unlawful practice and, with the consent of the patient, help to make the practice, with its dangers to life and health more widely known; to raise awareness of the dangers to a woman’s health in childbirth and to make the practice totally unacceptable in a civilised society
We welcome the news, reported in the Times on Saturday 1st February about NHS staff reporting FGM and hope that the new regulations will make it easier for this illegal matter to be addressed without any fear of reporting being challenged on the grounds of racism cultural insensitive. The NSPCC, with support from the Metropolitan Police, launched a 24-hour FGM Helpline in June 2013. Anyone worried about a child at risk of, or having been a victim of FGM can ring 0800 028 3550, email them at fgmhelp@nspcc.org.uk or visit their website.
Thank you for taking the trouble to read this letter and if you need any more information please contact S. I. Cirencester & District via our web site