FGM Is Patriarchy Incarnate: @NoFGM_UK Contributes To #16Days #GBVTeachin

Friday 5 December ’14 was my day to join the Rutgers University ‘s #16Days of Advocacy Against Gender-Based Violence, with special reference in my case to female genital mutilation (FGM) in the diaspora, in Europe , North America and Australia.  I’ve posted below all my Tweets as @NoFGM_UK, more or less in the order I wrote them.  It’s quite a challenge to say things in 140 characters each time, but I hope I’ve captured the essence of some of the facts and views most relevant to my subject.

So here we go….

All these Tweets were posted with the hashtags #16Days and #GBVTeachin.  (Your thoughts are most welcome as Comments, below.)

@NoFGM_UK tweets:

#FGM is a fundamentally feminist issue; it is lethal, defies human rights and demeans both women AND men

Here’s the reality: #FGM is the ultimate form of oppression; it’s patriarchy incarnate. Diminishes us all.

Feminist Statement on #FGM http://statementonfgm.com/  Do sign here.

[See also final four Tweets, below, for more about feminism and why it is such a critical issue.]

Don’t forget, #FGM is *MUTILATION* . The term adopted by Bamako Declaration in 2005 http://nofgm.org/2014/11/12/the-bamako-declaration-female-genital-mutilation-terminology-mali-2005/ … No euphemisms

All child abuse is vile. We need to be clear that includes #FGM, #CEFM (child, early + forced marriage), breast-ironing>

> and other child abuse such as ‘domestic’ violence, witchcraft, forced feeding (or starvation) and much more >>

>> May be easier to get the message the #FGM is child abuse over in western than traditionally practising countries?

Update on #FGM developments and news regularly; subscribe (absolutely free) to #NoFGM Daily News http://paper.li/NoFGM1/1347915392 …

There is also a USA version of the No #FGM Daily News http://paper.li/NoFGM_USA/1400341179 …. That’s also free, absolutely no obligation

Western countries must provide safe houses for girls/women fleeing #FGM, just as traditionally practising nations must.

More than 200 girls flee their homes to escape #FGM http://ppr.li/r?trail=contributor%3Dtwitter%3A418833276&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.hivisasa.com%2Fnyamira%2Fnews%2F124476%2Fmore-200-girls-flee-their-homes-escape-fgm&urlhash=91aa010&src=paperli.share …

Only way to combat #FGM is to face up to it and ensure it stops, also explaining to communities the harm it does, + why

Medicalization of #FGM is a grim misuse of modern clinical skills and the WHO opposes it strongly. Occurs a lot in Egypt

It is also thought that girls from UK (?and elsewhere) may be sent to Singapore and poss Emirates for medicalised #FGM

When clinicians do #FGM they earn fees + use skills illegally; and they let parents off the hook whilst hurting children

Medicalization #FGM is NOT the answer; reaffirms right of powerful people (ultimately men) to remove others’ body parts.

The Health + Social Care Information Centre has started to post monthly stats on #FGM in England http://www.hscic.gov.uk/article/5147/Female-genital-mutilation-figures-published …

In the period up to end of Sept 2014 cases of #FGM reported in English hospitals were 1,279. In October another 467 new cases were reported.

Do not assume BOTH parents (guardians) want girls to have #FGM. Work with women + men both to support dissenting parents

But tho #FGM is criminal it’s also complicated by family loyalties + sometimes v worried parents. Help them avoid cruelty

Embarrassment is a problem in tackling #FGM. Portray it as abuse and that may lessen. All abuse is criminal, must stop.

To eradicate #FGM requires National Plan, eg, for the UK. Piece-meal responses will not do; joined up approach essential

It’s probably not true that #FGM must stop in traditionally practising countries before it can stop in the west.Be firm!

Newly appointed UK Shadow Solicitor General @KarlTurnerMP, strong advocate for eradicating #FGM http://www.karlturnermp.org.uk/-Karl-Turner-appointed-Shadow-Solicitor-General …

We must treat #FGM like all other child abuse – prevention, detection, + support for children involved; AND INVOLVE MEN

France has very different legal approach to #FGM from eg UK. Linda Weil-Curiel is a lead attorney https://hilaryburrage.com/2012/11/28/the-uk-can-learn-from-france-on-fgm-prosecutions/ …

A problem re #FGM detection is the police are not diverse / experienced enough in engagement with practising comminities

Very little currently known about psychological impacts of #FGM. Inflicted by trusted carers,grimly painful, traumatic..

#FGM occurs in the diaspora. The diaspora is mobile. Static + rigid systems to eradicate won’t work. Joined-up thinking

The media must take care to portray #FGM survivors as people +to recognise that they must not be alone re responsibility

There are debates about #FGM and labiaplasty etc; the critical issues are consent (no children) and avoidance of damage.

Incidence data on #FGM very patchy in western societies. Full picture essential to develop policy for UK / USA / Oz etc.

One challenge is to insist #FGM is illegal and cruel, but people in practising communities are people like everyone else

All children need #PSHE so they can think about what they feel and hope for. All boys + girls must learn to resist #FGM.

.Yana Richens OBE Services for women #EndFGM cannot be commissioned or planned without knowing how many women suffer join DH consultation thnx @janeellisonmp

We know so little about the fate in western countries of (most) girls with #FGM. Only the brave few manage to speak out>

> but why should girls with #FGM speak out unless they really want to? It’s our job to protect, not theirs to protest.

Girls who have #FGM tend to drop out of school, as do other children with problems. Critical that research tells us more

Parents may resist enquiries about #FGM + other child abuse. The legal system must ensure right questions / observations

Not all clinicians know to look out for #FGM + other violence to children (think Baby P). Essential they ask + examine.

When #FGM occurs it’s essential that perpetrators are brought to account. That’s ‘normal’ detective work, find criminals

MEN are critical to protecting children; if they stay at arm’s length #FGM / other abuse won’t stop.They MUST speak out.

If the State won’t protect its most vulnerable members from abuse #FGM etc, what’s for? FUNDING in UK is also essential.

Protection of most vulnerable members of society (#FGM or other abuse) is a fundamental, core role of the state itself.

To stop #FGM in western nations (+ elsewhere?) Govts must INVEST MONEY + TAKE RESPONSIBILITY. It’s not a charity matter.

The UK Govt repeats responsibility for stopping #FGM lies with teachers, nurses, the police; but Guidelines not enough.

National protocols are only way to address #FGM + other child abuse. Local responses don’t work. People can move away.

For teachers to address #FGM AND OTHER ABUSE properly, they need training and national protocols + #PSHE, not lecturing.

In UK > Local Safeguarding Children Boards (LSCBs). They’re weak re #FGM: not required attendance + poor school links.

Some traditional #FGM locations are working on #ARP (alternative rites of passage) substitutes. Results are mixed becos>

> #ARPs will prob only ‘work’ where the rationale for #FGM relates to achieving adult status,not where it’s about purity.

Teachers, especially men? are uncertain how to detect #FGM risk / what to do, if so. #MandateNow required reporting helps

It is absolutely true that ‘culture change’ is required, but that will be easier if #FGM is perceived as ‘just’ abuse >

> If #FGM is labelled as abuse it may be easier to challenge and address. It needs to be seen in every community as No.

Diaspora families know #FGM is illegal. Sometimes they ‘reinterpret’ the law, sometimes they hide activity or go abroad.

@RaquelEvita …  .@NoFGM_UK, reminds us that efforts like #16Days #GBVteachin impacted by crises like #EbolaOutbreak in #SierraLeone – meetings are risky.

UK now has formal anonymous reporting of all #FGM patients in English hospitals. Not enough, but a start, for good stats

Sometimes medics (midwives?) want to ‘protect’ their patients for kind reasons, but that must be via protocols, not them

When #FGM suspected it is VITAL that enforcement and protection services be alerted. Decision is NOT for medics, schools

Legal enforcement of No #FGM is separate from decisions of child protection services + the courts, who determine action.

I am convinced that law has a role in #FGM eradication, as prevention / deterrence and as punishment, but not alone.

And #FGM can also change / stop due to outside contexts (eg Sierra Leone, where #Ebola has made meetings dangerous).

Tho’ #FGM is deeply traditional it isn’t immutable. In some places (Egypt) it’s now medicalized, against WHO strictures.

Today we focus on #FGM but #MGM is violation too, and sometimes hazardous as well. See http://genitale-autonomie.de/videos-der-vortraege/levin/ … @tflevin

. @ShirleyRandell Importance of using data to measure gender equality @MakeWomenCount @IntlWomen @FEMNETProg #humanrights #equality http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/gender/using-data-to-measure-gender-equality.html …

.@AfricaPost2015 United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s Statements http://fb.me/2GjLYJSpG 

One v difficult comparison (or not) is #FGM / non-med-required #MGM. My view, both are human rights abuses for children.

.@AllisonGranted I am retweeting and sharing a lot because it’s important that I share the voices of Black people and support them. #BlackLivesMatter

Western nations must be clear that ALL children have good futures as independent autonomous, responsible adults. No #FGM

Whilst BME girls in western nations have fewer life chances (overall) thn others the economic rebuttal of #FGM is tricky

One thing which must be acknowledged re #FGM is many victims (children, survivors > adult) want to protect their parents >

> because parents feared otherwise their daughters would be unmarried and destitute. We MUST show there are better ways

The challenge in western societies (and elsewhere) is to stop #FGM / other abuse so people don’t need to accommodate it.

Everyone has to find ways to cope with things which happen, #FGM survivors are like the rest of us in seeking resolution

Of course in modern societies #FGM survivors (some die) need to find ways to accommodate what their parents did to them.

Everyone has to find ways to cope with things which happen, #FGM survivors are like the rest of us in seeking resolution

But #FGM isn’t always (if ever) an ‘act of love’; it’s an economic transaction in societies where women are market goods

The traditional claim for #FGM is it protects girls’ ‘purity’,makes them eligible for ‘good’ (ie high dowry) marriage.

So #FGM is ‘cultural’ in the sense it reflects beliefs about the need for women to be subordinate to men. Demeans both.

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https://www.change.org/p/fgm-abolitionists-internationally-support-the-feminist-statement-on-female-genital-mutilation … Plz sign and share! Thx

@drspender has some very salient words on #Feminism.. [It] has fought no wars…  [cont.  Dr Dale Spender]

‘We should all be feminists’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. She’s not just an amazing writer but a… http://fb.me/4ry4Ucjir  via @OctoberBooks

Feminist: a person who believes in the social, political, and economic equality of the sexes- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

.@booksanddance Coffee drinking, book reading feminist. Love the goddess, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Fighting back against the racist, homophobic, misogynistic right wingers.

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#FF …@replacefgm2 @HiboWardere @HawaDSesay @GoodMenProject @16DaysCampaign @comfortmomoh @KarlTurnerMP @TheAlimo @BAREtruthT @BaldehF @SafeHands4Girls @Yanarichens @SarahBrownUK @FamilyPlanndMum @NoFGMBookUK @NoFGM_USA @SamburuGirlsFDN @VABVOX @roshniscotland @DexterDiasQC @FGMStatement @NoFGM_Oz @UnCUTVOICES @Mashua @NoFGM_France @tflevin @maggiebi3 @ChasingTheCut @sybilmw @carsonmaryc @hodamali @KhadijaGbla @gillypom @eurogender @darf_charity @KenyaChildFund @felicitygerry @ConsideredView @JahaENDFGM @JulieBarton @twinteachie @beyond_fgm @28TooMany @NoFGM_Kenya @HilaryBurrage @FGMQuestions @mydaughtersarmy  @StopMGM @NoFGM_UKideas

So who else…?

Why not Tweet your favourite #FF handles to @NoFGM_UK now [and/or add them as Comment below]? Let’s share some more…. and don’t be shy if it’s YOU!

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Appreciation: Efua Dorkenoo OBE, the woman who steadfastly led the way for so long … http://wp.me/p1zddm-1GG  via @HilaryBurrage

UK Parliament Home Affairs Committee Report On Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) http://wp.me/p1zddm-1zv  via @HilaryBurrage

Submission To UK Home Affairs Parliamentary Select Committee Inquiry On #FGM… http://wp.me/p1zddm-1uP  via @HilaryBurrage

Rational-Emotional ‘Divorce’ In Iran http://wp.me/p1zddm-1vf  via @HilaryBurrage #VAWG How do women cope (or not)?

Drop The Clichés:#MandateNow + Simple Protocols Essential To Prevent #FGM A… http://wp.me/p1zddm-1vR  via @HilaryBurrage

The Real Economics Of #FGM: It’s (Much) More Than ‘Wages’ http://wp.me/p1zddm-1w6  via @HilaryBurrage

UN Rapporteur Rashida Manjoo Visits UK – My Briefing Note On #VAGW #FGM http://wp.me/p1zddm-1×7  via @HilaryBurrage

Schools Must Safeguard Girls From #FGM; But How? http://wp.me/p1zddm-1Cx  via @HilaryBurrage #MandateNow is critical

From Rage To Effective Action Against #FGM http://wp.me/p1zddm-1E1  via @HilaryBurrage #BringBackOurGirls

Does Female Genital Mutilation (#FGM) In Western Societies Create An Underclass? http://wp.me/p1zddm-1yi  @HilaryBurrage

#FGM: “We May Be About To See The Change We All So Much Want.” http://wp.me/p1zddm-1CD  via @HilaryBurrage

Islam Channel Television Examines #FGM in the UK http://wp.me/p1zddm-1yo  via @HilaryBurrage Views of an Iman + Activists

Report: Harmful Traditional Practices In Diaspora Communities http://wp.me/p1zddm-1zc  via @HilaryBurrage #FGM #VAGW

Sing + Shout Against FGM: Where Arts, Human Rights, The ‘Old Days’ + A Big UN Announcem… http://wp.me/p1zddm-1Hx  via @HilaryBurrage

Will The ‘Girl Summit’ Speed Ending #FGM In The UK? http://wp.me/p1zddm-1Em  via @HilaryBurrage

UK Home Office (Says It) Has No Data On FGM Asylum Claims [Can this be true?] http://wp.me/p1zddm-1ye  via @HilaryBurrage

Does Female Genital Mutilation (#FGM) In Western Societies Create An Underclass? http://wp.me/p1zddm-1yi  @HilaryBurrage

Making FGM History In The UK: Manchester, 22 September 2014 http://wp.me/p1zddm-1Dk  via @HilaryBurrage

The Other #FGM Debate: Is Male Circumcision Also Child Abuse? http://wp.me/p1zddm-YO  via @HilaryBurrage #NoMGM

#FGM In Britain: A Scandal About To Break…? (And The Risks Of Summer ‘Ho… http://wp.me/p1zddm-10L  via @HilaryBurrage

Some The Big Issues In Making #FGM History http://wp.me/p1zddm-1F2  via @HilaryBurrage

#FGM will not stop without cross-party impetus: Labour FGM Fringe Event ~ Some Outcomes http://wp.me/p1zddm-1Fq  via @HilaryBurrage

Female Genital Mutilation: Why Does This ‘Holiday’ Horror Endure? http://wp.me/p1zddm-150  via @HilaryBurrage #FGM

The Crown Prosecution Service Finally Responds To The Horrors Of #FGM In T… http://wp.me/p1zddm-197  via @HilaryBurrage

Read more about FGM as Patriarchy Incarnate

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FURTHER INFORMATION AND ACTION

Readers are invited to support these two FGM e-petitions:

UK Government: Enforce the UK law which forbids FGM (Female Genital so-called ‘Cutting’)    ..

and FGM abolitionists internationally: Support the Feminist Statement on Female Genital Mutilation

[See also HM Government e-petition, No. 35313, to STOP Female Genital Mutilation (FGM / ‘cutting’) in Britain  (for UK citizens and residents – now closed).]

There is a free FGM hotline for anyone in the UK: 0800 028 3550, or email:fgmhelp@nspcc.org.uk

The #NoFGM Daily News carries reports of all items shared on Twitter that day about FGM – brings many organisations and developments into focus.

Also available to follow is daily news from NoFGM_USA.

For more on FGM please see here.

Twitter accounts: @NoFGM_UK  @NoFGMBookUK  @FGMStatement  @NoFGM_USA   [tag for all: #NoFGM]

Facebook page: #NoFGM – a crime against humanity

More info on FGM in the UK here. Email contact: NoFGM email

** Hilary Burrage is currently writing a book, Eradicating Female Genital Mutilation: A UK Perspective