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Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) includes all procedures involving total or partial removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. It's also known as ‘female circumcision’ or ‘cutting, and by other terms such as sunna, gudniin, halalays, tahur, megrez and khitan, among others. FGM has no health benefits, and no religious texts require girls to be ‘cut’, however FGM is carried out under the banners of culture and religion within families and communities in the mistaken belief that it benefits the girl in some way, eg. preserve/prove her virginity as a preparation for marriage.
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Practices vary across communities with girls/women being ‘cut’ at any time from two days after birth, before puberty, during pregnancy, or following delivery of their first child. The most prevalent age group is 0-15 years,and some recent reports suggest that the age range is getting younger.
In addition to general safeguarding duties, since October 2015 all registered health and social care professionals and qualified teachers have a personal professional duty to report FGM in girls under 18years; professional registration can be affected by non-compliance with this duty.
To report call 101, record information and reference number , update safeguarding lead
KEY FACTORS TO LOOK OUT FOR:The family belongs to a community which practices FGM, are making plans to go on holiday / requested extended leave from school.