Health chiefs warn on genital mutilation among ethnic minorities

The genital mutilation of young girls must be eradicated within ethnic minority communities across Ireland who want to maintain cultural traditions, health chiefs warned today.

Concerns were raised by the Women’s Health Council (WHC) that some families have been pressurised to send a child back to their country of origin for the horrific procedure.

It was also feared the practice could also be carried out illegally and in secret in Ireland.

A new report found that while there is a low occurrence of the horrific procedure here, its practice remains a characteristic within certain minority communities.

The organisation warned that the Government must update laws and adopt a proactive approach to prevent the emergence of female genital mutilation and cutting (FGM/C).

More training must also be given to medical professionals treating women who were mutilated as youngsters.

Geraldine Luddy, WHC director, said genital mutilation was an act of violence against the physical and emotional integrity of women and children which has serious adverse health repercussions.

She said priority should be given to the needs of women affected on social, physical and emotional levels by the practice.

“While FGM/C is not a widespread cultural practice in Ireland, anecdotal evidence from health service providers highlights the needs of women presenting at health services, who have undergone FGM/C,” said Ms Luddy.

“Ireland needs to ensure that the practice does not become established among migrant ethnic communities and that those charged with service provision, especially those in the health service, are equipped with the appropriate training and information to deal with FGM/C if and when they encounter it.

“As FGM/C is not medically available in Ireland, the potential exists for it to be practiced in private within the ethnic minority communities and remain hidden from both authorities and the health system.”

Some 135 million women worldwide have undergone FGM/C, with three million women and girls remaining at risk of it each year.

It is predominantly carried out in parts of Africa and a few countries in Asia and the Middle East.

Immediate and short-term repercussions include haemorrhaging, shock from the pain and violence, and even death. Long-term damage in relation to sexual and reproduction health include infertility problems and pelvic inflammatory disease.

Salome Mbugua, director of AkiDwa (African Women’s Network) who launched the report, commended the WHC research.

“It highlights the practice of FGM/C as an abuse of women’s human rights and the need for a proactive integrated approach to preventing the emergence of the practice in Ireland,” she added.

Researchers recommended that a working group be established to take a proactive role to ensure that an integrated approach to FGM/C is implemented.

Key-actions would include ensuring the health sector adopts guidelines on how to treat women affected by FGM/C, to adopt a community-base approach to prevent the emergence of the procedure, and the collation of statistics on women who present to services who have undergone FGM/C.