Oxford City Council supports ending Female Genital Mutilation through grant funding

Today is International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation, a United Nations initiative to end the practice of FGM.

In support of this, Oxford Against Cutting will be holding a meeting today with young people to mark International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.

At this meeting, Oxford Against Cutting will launch a new toolkit for primary school teachers, to support them in talking about FGM and body rights with children in class.

The City Council has funded Oxford Against Cutting in 2017/18 by providing:

• £950 through the Small Grants Programme to hold today's meeting
• £3,000 through the Open Bidding Programme to support Oxford Against Cutting to deliver safeguarding and awareness-raising work for teachers and youth leaders across Oxford on FGM
• £999.99 through the Oxford Safer Communities Partnership for Oxford Against Cutting to run football workshops for boys to raise awareness of and tackle issues such as domestic abuse, inequality and FGM

Oxford Against Cutting is charity working to help prevent FGM of girls and women living in Oxfordshire and the South East.

Councillor Tom Hayes, Executive Board Member for Community Safety said: “Female Genital Mutilation is a violation of the fundamental human rights of women and girls; today we renew our commitment to ending it”.

“The City Council works closely with communities to raise awareness of this hugely under-reported crime and support everybody affected by this abuse. Together we are taking a zero-tolerance approach to FGM and working to end gender inequality”.

Fatou Ceesay, Community Outreach Director for Oxford Against Cutting said “FGM is a harmful practice that at least 3.6 million girls are at risk of experiencing in the next 12 months globally. This potentially includes girls in the UK.”

“OAC will support teachers to encourage children to talk to teachers, school nurses, or anyone they feel safe with at school, if they are worried about FGM or any type of bodily or sexual harm.”

If you or someone you know may be at risk of FGM, please speak up and call the NSPCC on:

0800 028 3550 (FGM Helpline) - a free 24hr service for advice, information or support (or email: fgmhelp@nspcc.org.uk)

Or contact MASH, Oxfordshire Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub on:

0345 050 7666 (or email: mash-childrens@oxfordshire.gcsx.gov.uk)

If someone is at immediate risk, call the police on 999.

The Oxford Rose Clinic, a specialist FGM clinic based at the John Radcliffe Hospital, accepts self-referrals via email: oxfordrose.clinic@nhs.net or telephone/text 07767 671 406, it is a confidential service open to pregnant and non-pregnant women that is run by a female doctor.

For further information visit the Oxford Against Cutting website.

For more information about International Day of Zero Tolerance for FGM visit the UN website.