You are a doctor, social worker, childcare worker, teacher or midwife who is asking him or herself: what can I do to help girls and women who have undergone female genital cutting (FGM/C) and to protect girls who are at risk? How can I tell whether someone may have undergone FGM/C? Where can I turn for expert advice on the subject?
Female genital cutting (FGM/C) is a very sensitive issue, and approaching a woman or girl who might be or has been affected by it is not easy. There are no hard and fast rules for professionals to follow here. Every situation is different, every woman and every girl has her own history and her own needs. Below, you will find some general approaches and guidance to help you deal with FGM/C in the course of your daily work.
Be informed: Find out about FGM/C and get specialist support from the regional or national contact points of the Network against Female Genital Cutting Switzerland.
Broach the issue: Depending on the situation, your role as a professional and your relationship with the woman, you may be able to broach the subject with her. Your primary role in this situation is to listen, and to focus on the needs and desires of the individual in question. Every case is different, and not all people who have undergone FGM/C have problems. In your role as a professional (and ideally one in a trust-based relationship with the person in question), you should signal your readiness to offer support.
Offer support: Point out that there are experts who can help her if she has problems. Arrange access to experienced, specialised female professionals (gynaecologists, midwives, sexual health counsellors, intercultural mediators, peer educators, interpreters etc.). The Network against Female Genital Cutting has a list of contact points.
Be informed: Find out about FGM/C and get specialist support from the regional or national contact points of the Network against female genital cutting Switzerland.
Broach the subject: Depending on the situation, your role as professional and your relationship with the girl and her parents, you may be able to broach the subject with her and/or her parents. Your primary role in this situation is to listen, and not to make a premature judgement. Every case is different. In your role as a professional, , you should signal your readiness to offer support.
Aim of the conversation: The child’s welfare is paramount. For this reason, you should try to build up a relationship of trust with the parents and, in doing so, foster a willingness on their part to cooperate with you. Your aim must be to encourage the parents to protect their daughter from FGM/C. It is also possible that the purpose is to offer help in dealing with pressure from members of the extended family (in Switzerland or in the country of origin) who want the daughter to undergo FGM/C. There are regional contact points that can help.
Content of the conversation: During the conversation, you should communicate...
... that you are concerned for the girl.
... that in Switzerland FGM/C is considered a form of physical injury and dangerous to the welfare of a child.
... that all forms of FGM/C are prohibited by law in Switzerland, as well as in most other countries. Even when FGM/C is performed in another country, it is still a criminal offence in Switzerland.
... that by failing to protect a girl from female genital cutting (e.g. if the girl undergoes the procedure while visiting relatives in the country of origin), parents or guardians are neglecting their duty of care.
... that FGM/C can result in very serious health problems.
... that you will communicate any further steps or inquiries you plan to make to the parents and/or the girl in a transparent manner.
Bring in a peer educator to provide support: Whenever possible, for these conversations seek the support of a peer educator or an intercultural mediator who has been trained in FGM/C. The national contact points can put you in contact with peer educators with appropriate training.
Endangering the welfare of a child: Proceed as you would as a professional encountering another form of child welfare endangerment or domestic violence: if the suspicion of genital cutting is confirmed, contact your local child protection group and/or file a report of possible endangerment with the child and adult protection authority. Find out about requirements relating to the duty of official secrecy and professional confidentiality and the mandatory reporting obligations and reporting rights associated with your employment relationship and in your canton. Further information about the legal situation in Switzerland.
Be informed: Find out about FGM/C and get specialist support from the regional or national contact points of the Network against Female Genital Cutting Switzerland.
Broach the subject: Depending on the situation, your role as professional and your relationship with the girl and her parents, you may be able to broach the subject with her and/or her parents. Your primary role in this situation is to listen, and not to make a premature judgement. Every case is different. In your role as a professional, , you should signal your readiness to offer support.
Aim of the conversation: The child’s welfare is paramount. For this reason, you should try to build up a relationship of trust with the parents and, in doing so, foster a willingness on their part to cooperate with you. Your aim must be to encourage the parents to protect their daughter from FGM/C. It is also possible that the purpose is to offer help in dealing with pressure from members of the extended family (in Switzerland or in the country of origin) who want the daughter to undergo FGM/C. There are regional contact points that can help.
Content of the conversation: During the conversation, you should communicate...
... that you are concerned for the girl.
... that in Switzerland FGM/C is considered a form of physical injury and dangerous to the welfare of a child.
... that all forms of FGM/C are prohibited by law in Switzerland, as well as in most other countries. Even when FGM/C is performed in another country, it is still a criminal offence in Switzerland.
... that by failing to protect a girl from female genital cutting (e.g. if the girl undergoes the procedure while visiting relatives in the country of origin), parents or guardians are neglecting their duty of care.
... that FGM/C can result in very serious health problems.
... that you will communicate any further steps or inquiries you plan to make to the parents and/or the girl in a transparent manner.
Bring in a peer educator to provide support: Whenever possible, for these conversations seek the support of a peer educator or an intercultural mediator who has been trained in FGM/C. The national contact points can put you in contact with peer educators with appropriate training.
Endangering the welfare of a child: Proceed as you would as a professional encountering another form of risk to child welfare or domestic violence. If the suspicion of genital cutting is confirmed, contact your local child protection group and/or file a report of possible risk with the child and adult protection authority. Find out about requirements relating to the duty of official secrecy and professional confidentiality, and the mandatory reporting obligations and reporting rights associated with your employment relationship and those of your canton. Click for further information about the legal situation in Switzerland.
If the girl is in immediate danger, contact your local child protection group, the child and adult protection authority, or the police. However, situations requiring urgent intervention are rare.
On the one hand, professionals should try to reach out to as many individuals who have undergone, or are at risk of undergoing FGM/C as possible, to offer them support and protection. On the other hand, it would not be right to cast a blanket of suspicion over all families that come from certain countries. Not all women or girls from countries where FGM/C is practised have undergone it or are at risk.
There is a strong taboo surrounding the subject: it relates to sexuality, the female body and violence. This means that addressing it calls for great sensitivity.
An atmosphere of trust and sufficient time are essential for talking about this issue. If possible, broach the topic of FGM/C in connection with similar topics (e.g. health, sexuality, pregnancy and childbirth, parenting, child protection, violence).
It is important for you to know where you can obtain information, support and advice. The national contact points of the Network against female genital cutting Switzerland will be happy to answer any questions. You do not necessarily have to become an expert on FGM/C; what matters is that you assume the role of intermediary and arrange access to support and protection.
It is important that your institution also takes a clear stance on FGM/C and has procedures for dealing with it. Discuss individual cases in your team and with your supervisors.
The subject of FGM/C can evoke powerful emotions in professionals. These emotions, however, have no place in a conversation with people affected by the practice. Remain objective and professional and engage in the conversation as one among equals with an attitude of respect. Clearly communicate that FGM/C is illegal in most countries, including Switzerland. Further information on the legal situation.
The following examples may make it easier to begin a conversation about FGM/C:
“I have heard that female genital cutting is practised in the country you come from. Is it also a tradition in the community you are from?”
“Were there complications during the birth of your child/children?”
“I am concerned about your daughter...”
When talking to people from communities that practise FGM/C it is better to stick with the term “female genital cutting”. It is more value-neutral than “genital mutilation”. What’s more, many women who have undergone FGM/C do not see themselves as mutilated. An alternative is to use the term “ritual” or the word used in the language of the person concerned. If necessary, ask an interpreter what the commonly used term is.
Whenever possible, seek the support of a peer educator or an intercultural mediator who has been trained in FGM/C for these conversations. The national contact points can put you in contact with suitable peer educators.
It is okay to bring up the topic of FGM/C in a group situation as long as you do so in the context of similar topics (e.g. with health, sexuality, sexual education, pregnancy & childbirth, parenting, child protection, violence).
It is essential, however, that no stigma be attached to individual members of the group. A great deal of tact is required if potentially only certain individuals in the group are affected by the issue. Addressing the topic in the context of a school class is particularly tricky, as the wrong approach can have an especially stigmatising effect on the girls or women concerned, due to age and the school environment.
Peer educators can be brought in for prevention events.
Men who are members of the practising communities often know only very little about FGM/C; the practice is seen as “women’s business”. Men are affected by FGM/C too, though, in their roles as (future) husbands and fathers. They have an important role to play in the perpetuation or eradication of FGM/C. It is therefore essential that they be brought into the conversation. Only if men are well informed will they be in a position to better understand and support wives who have undergone FGM/C and to keep their daughters safe from the practice.
Peer educators can be brought in to support prevention events aimed at men.