Tackling Female Genital Mutilation
in Scotland:
a Scottish model of intervention
Key Findings
Nina Murray
Women’s Policy Development Officer | Scottish Refugee Council
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
“All procedures involving partial or total removal of the female
external genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for
non-medical reasons.”
(World Health Organisation, 2014)
Clitoridectomy (Type I): partial or total removal of the clitoris;
Excision (Type II): partial or total removal of the clitoris and labia
minora, with/without excision of labia majora;
Infibulation (Type III): narrowing of the vaginal opening by creating
a covering seal, formed by cutting and repositioning the inner/outer
labia, with or without removal of the clitoris;
Other (Type IV): all other harmful procedures to the female genitalia
for non-medical purposes, e.g. pricking, piercing, incising, scraping
and cauterizing the genital area
Research Aims
• To identify the size and location of
communities potentially affected by FGM
living in Scotland
• To determine promising FGM–related
interventions within the EU which could have
potential for further development in Scotland
Potentially affected communities in
Scotland
Area
Scotland
Glasgow City
Aberdeen City
# people
24,012
8,647
4,241
Edinburgh, City of
3,583
Dundee City
1,126
Fife
679
Aberdeenshire
539
South Lanarkshire
515
There are communities
potentially affected by
FGM living in all of
Scotland’s local authority
areas.
Potentially affected communities in
Scotland
Potentially affected communities in
Scotland
Births to mothers born in an FGM practising country 2001-2012
Effective interventions – 5 Ps
• Participation
• Policy, strategy and research
• Provision of services
• Protection
• Prevention
Participation
It is important for communities to actually recognise
that they themselves are a wealth of knowledge
and can be instrumental in intervention.
(Specialist NGO, UK)
Participation
• Policy and practice development should be shaped
and driven by the experiences, needs and views of
communities affected by FGM.
Policy, strategy and research
Authorities should …design a plan of action on
FGM…and attach a budget to it and it should not only
be developed by officials in their offices but… in
collaboration with the communities themselves and
with all stakeholders.
(Academic, Belgium)
Policy, strategy and research
• Contextualise FGM as violence against women
• Use Equally Safe as a vehicle to develop a national
action plan on FGM
• Provide national direction to ensure consistent
recording in statutory services
• Invest in support for communities to affect longterm behaviour change
• Ensure evaluation built into all interventions
Provision of services
Specialist services tend to focus around maternity
services and that’s because in general women with FGM
may not seek to come into contact with healthcare
professionals but the one time they will is when they’re
pregnant.
(Medical Practitioner, UK)
Provision of services
• Establish a specialist, multi-disciplinary ‘hub
spoke’ FGM service in Scotland with clear pathways
& links to named professionals
• Consideration of specialist hospital consulting
hours
• Culturally competent care
• Relevant health professionals trained to carry out
sensitive inquiry around FGM
Protection
Does it mean for every woman who’s gone through
FGM, we’re reporting her to social services because
she’s going to be at risk or she’s going to be a
perpetrator? … this is very repressive…
(Specialist NGO, UK)
Protection
• Effective criminal justice response
• Multi-agency approach & clearly identified roles
• Clear ‘child intervention’ response to risk
• Network of named professionals
• Training for frontline professionals
• Ensure FGM fully explored as a potential ground
for international protection
Prevention
Social workers and health and welfare professionals
have responsibilities...to protect girls from being cut;
to advocate for services for affected women...and to
engage with practising communities in processes to
stop the practice.
(Costello 2013)
Prevention
• Strong criminal justice response must be
accompanied by community-based interventions
• Clear direction on the role of frontline professionals
in prevention
• Campaigning & awareness-raising should be nonstigmatising & evidence-based
• Training & guidance for professionals
Next steps in Scotland
•
Scottish Government
Short Life Working Group
•
National guidelines for
practitioners
•
Funding for work with
communities
•
Engagement with women,
religious leaders, men,
young people
•
RITES play
•
Care pathways and
protocols
•
Resources & training
•
Specialist services?
For further information
www.scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk
Policy and Research > Research Reports
nina.murray@scottishrefugeecouncil.org.uk
0141 223 7993
@scotrefcouncil
www.fgmaware.org