Statement in response to the announcement of new FGM figures in the UK

Aid charity World Vision UK today called for a global political and legal concerted approach at tackling the issue of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), following the latest figures.

Peter Keegan, the government relations manager for World Vision UK said:“That nearly 500 British girls are getting subjected to the brutal Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) procedure every month is a worrying statistic.”

Britain is yet to have a successful prosecution 30 years after the practice was made illegal in the UK. Like rape, FGM tends to be a hidden crime that goes significantly underreported because its victims fear that seeking prosecution will ultimately end in failure or shame them.

Keegan added: “While the magnitude of this scourge remains unknown because of a lack of reliable data, the UK government estimates 170,000 women and girls in the UK have undergone the procedure. This information and other insightful intelligence should form the basis for the implementation of robust policies and tools that put an end to the deplorable practices of FGM and forced marriages.

“We find it appalling that globally; an estimated 125 million women and girls - most of them under the age of 18 - are living with the consequences of FGM,” he explained.

World Vision is working in these countries to ensure that children are protected from FGM and forced marriage but we need the support of governments to ensure more girls are kept safe. We urge the British government and legal bodies to continue their strong stand on this issue and step up their efforts to translate this in to action on the ground that halts barbaric acts of violence on girls and women once and for all.