National centre tackling FGM at risk of closure over funding concerns

The national centre which has been tasked with wiping out the barbaric practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) is in jeopardy, it has been claimed.

The National FGM Centre, which is run by the children’s charity Barnardo’s and the Local Government Association, aspires to prevent the practice by working with girls and their families, raising awareness in schools and communities and training professionals such as social workers and teachers to spot girls at risk of FGM and know how to report it.

But funding for the centre is due to end on July 21.

Meanwhile, new figures have shown that in the past year, NHS professionals in England have reported 9,179 attendances where FGM was identified or a procedure for FGM was undertaken. Of these, 5,391 were newly recorded cases.

Of the newly recorded cases, 112 involved women and girls who were born in the UK.

The NHS Digital figures, covering the period from April last year to March this year, show that in 57 cases, the practice had been undertaken in the UK.

The most common time when FGM was undertaken was between the ages of five and nine, accounting for 44% of the total number of cases where the age at the time of being cut was known.

National FGM Centre director Michelle Lee-Izu said: “Whilst we are making progress in tackling FGM, today’s figures show it is still being practised in communities across England.

“The centre’s remit is to help eradicate FGM for girls and women living in England by 2030, but this will not happen if it closes down just two years after being set up by the Government.

“The Government has said it is committed to ending FGM and more funding needs to be found so the centre’s work can continue.”

Janet Fyle, professional policy advisor at the Royal College of Midwives, added: “We are still seeing far too many cases of FGM and one case of FGM is still one case too many.

“Whilst these statistics are very useful, they become meaningless if we are not providing the services these women need. Too often, we are seeing services being closed, which means that many survivors of FGM cannot get the support they need.

“I remain concerned about the lack of access to community-based FGM services, especially for non-pregnant women, many of whom may not necessarily access services within hospitals.

“The Government must also renew its focus in this area given the number of girls at risk of FGM in England, and all of us involved in ending FGM must not slacken our efforts.”

An NSPCC spokesman said: “Once more, these figures highlight that FGM continues to affect thousands of girls and women living in communities across England.

“FGM is child abuse. Despite being illegal for over 30 years, too many people are still being subjected to it and it is right that health services have started to properly record evidence of this horrendous practice.

“The NSPCC Helpline is contacted more than once a day by people worried about girls who may have suffered, or are at risk of, FGM. It takes courage to report concerns as many feel ashamed or worry they will betray friends and family. But we need to end the silence that surrounds FGM to better protect children.”

A Government spokesman said a range of projects had been funded as part of the £200 million Children’s Social Care Innovation Programme, including the funding for the National FGM Centre.

He said the funding is for innovation and designed to lead to self-sustaining work and not ongoing core funding.

All future bids would be assessed on a case-by-case basis, he added.

“Protecting women and girls from violence and supporting victims is a key priority for this Government and a personal priority for the Minister for Women and Equalities, Justine Greening,” he said.

“We have strengthened the law on this through the Serious Crime Act 2015. It is now an offence if you fail to protect a girl from FGM.

“We have also created a mandatory reporting duty requiring professionals to report known cases of FGM to the police and have provided lifelong anonymity for victims.”

Simon Blackburn, chairman of the Safer and Stronger Communities Board at the Local Government Association, said: “The National FGM Centre represents a ready-made solution to this challenge, and government must act now to secure its long-term future.

“A co-ordinated national response is vital if the Government is to fulfil its promise to end FGM in the UK within a generation.

“An independent evaluation has highlighted the huge, positive impact the centre is having in communities where FGM is practised.

“Social work provision to girls and families affected by FGM has been quickly and significantly improved through the intervention of centre social workers, embedded in council safeguarding teams, and hundreds of referrals have been received in areas that previously only recorded a handful of cases each year.

“The National FGM Centre provides a clear and visible demonstration of the UK’s determination to tackle this horrific form of abuse, and its success is testament to the foresight and commitment of ministers in supporting such innovative and ground-breaking work.

“Long-term funding for the centre will allow it to continue this specialist, outcomes-focused work into FGM prevention and intervention, modelling good practice, sharing expert knowledge and building trusting relationships with families and communities with which they are engaged.

“The Government has committed to ending FGM in the UK, and it is now time to back this commitment with the long-term funding required to make that vision a reality.”

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