Deputy Police and Crime Commissioner Sue Arnold attended a special awareness event about female genital mutilation (FGM) last week (Tues 29 Sep)
Lichfield and Tamworth Domestic Violence Forum hosted the event to raise awareness of FGM, explain the laws surrounding it and equip delegates with information on what to do if they are concerned about someone who may be at risk.
Mrs Arnold spoke at the event about the work being done in Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent to eradicate FGM alongside Irene Crawford from charity ’28 too many’.
The event was part of a growing campaign to tackle FGM which also saw over 400 professionals come together last year at a day-long conference at Stafford County Showground in September.
Around 24,000 girls are currently at risk of FGM – which almost always goes unreported – across the UK which means that this is a problem that cannot be ignored in Staffordshire.
Mrs Arnold said: “There is no justification for female genital mutilation and we must commit our resources, our expertise and our determination to eradicating this practise from Staffordshire and beyond.
“The event was a great success showing that this isn’t just a problem for women in affected communities – it’s an issue which we all need to face.”
FGM, sometimes called female circumcision or cutting, involves the partial or total removal of the external female genital organs for cultural reasons. It is practised in 28 African countries and some in the Middle East and Asia and affects migrant communities in the UK.
