Female Genital Mutilation & Cutting: Strategies for Education and Prevention
Presented by Kathleen O’Connor, JD, Deputy Chief, Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, Criminal Division, U.S. Department of Justice; Sarah Sisaye, MPH, CHES, Management and Program Analyst, US Department of Education; and Angela Peabody, Executive Director, Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation.
A rapidly growing number of girls in the United States, ages 0-15, are at risk of being subjected to Female Genital Mutilation & Cutting (FGM/C), especially in certain metropolitan areas. The Center for Disease Control estimates that over ½ million girls in the U.S. are at risk of being cut – a number that has more tripled in 25 years. This webinar will provide school health professionals and health educators with the essential information needed to understand this practice and the risk to girls and families. The webinar will also give guidance on how to talk to girls and families in a culturally-sensitive way and how to alert authorities of imminent risk.
At the end of the webinar, attendees will be able to
- Identify girls most at risk; look for warning signs that FGM/C may have occurred
- Identify the four types of FGM/C, why it is performed, who performs the procedure and the ages at which most girls are cut.
- Understand what is meant by “vacation cutting.”
- Know federal and state laws that apply; know when reporting is mandatory and where and when to report; know the penalties for FGM/C and vacation cutting
- Sensitively discuss possible FGM/C with girls and families in a way which encourages sharing of information and providing services for the child, if needed.
Continuing Education (only for attendees of the live webinar)
1.0 Continuing Nursing Education (CNE) contact hour, 1.0 Category I CECH for CHES/MCHES has been approved for this webinar. Certificates of attendance also can be bought. Certificates are free for ASHA members and $30 for non-members.
Webinar Resources
- YouTube Recording of the webinar
- Webinar Slides in PDF
In the News
- 70 Million at Risk of FGM – Guardian Article
- The U.S. Female Genital Mutilation Crisis – NYT Article
Educational materials for Providers and Educators
United States
- HRSP Brochure (FGM) Rev 215 in English, French, Amharic, and Arabic explaining how FGM is a crime
- USCIS FGMC Brochure – Brief FGM overview information
- U.S. Women and Girls Potentially at Risk for FGMC, by Metro Area, 2013 Preliminary Data by Population Reference Bureau (Table)
- Number of girls and women at risk of FGM in the States – Population Reference Bureau’s (Map of States)
- The School Nurse’s Role in Addressing Female Genital Mutilation – published by National Association of School Nurses (requires membership or paid access). NASN will also release a podcast in August/September 2016.
- Global Woman P.E.A.C.E. Foundation
International (those marked UK are from the United Kingdom)
- UK – Multi-agency statutory guidance on female genital mutilation
- UK – Royal College of Nursing on FGM/C for nursing and midwifery practitioners to learn more about FGM
- UK – Student manual for nurses and midwives to acquire knowledge and skills to prevent FGM and manage FGM complications
- Canada – Caring for Kids New to Canada includes terminology, legal issues, global prevalence, misperceptions, risk-factors, types of FGM/C, complications, what health practitioners can do, along with additional resources and references.
Education materials for girls (those marked UK are from the United Kingdom)
- UK – Childline.org.uk – a page dedicated to providing information and resources to young girls who are at risk or already had FGM performed
- UK – A 3 minute animated video aimed for older girls