Police, social workers, health and education professionals, and community groups will come together later this week for a summit on how to end the barbaric practice of female genital mutilation.

Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd will open the conference, the first of its kind to be held in Greater Manchester, and will call on agencies to work with the community and voluntary sector to protect vulnerable children and put a stop to this horrifying practice.

Hosted by the Greater Manchester Female Genital Mutilation Forum working in partnership with Manchester Metropolitan University , the event is being chaired by Dr Kate Cook from the Manchester Law School with guest speakers from various parts of the country including Greater Manchester .

The event will shine a light on what is often a secretive and hidden practice and will share best practice, raise awareness and provide agencies with the tools to tackle female genital mutilation.

Although illegal in the UK, the practice is becoming increasingly prevalent. It’s estimated that 24,000 girls are at risk of female genital mutilation across the country, with many victims thought to suffer in silence.

Tony said: “Female genital mutilation is child abuse and we all have a responsibility to protect our children and put a stop to this barbaric practice. It can’t be tackled by one agency alone – we all need to stand together and work together, whether that’s police officers, teachers, social workers or communities.

“We’ve already taken steps to tackle this issue across Greater Manchester, including educating frontline staff, raising public awareness, and police operations at Manchester Airport to identify potential victims. But there’s still a lot more to be done.

“It’s unacceptable that children are victims of this horrific crime and we all have to play our part to stop it.”

Jaria Hussain-Lala, Chair, Greater Manchester FGM Forum, said: “Female genital mutilation is very much an issue for Greater Manchester with at risk communities living in each of the 10 boroughs. This event will aim to raise awareness of the varying impact female genital mutilation has upon individuals as well sharing the work agencies have been involved in tackling the issue”.

This event follows the launch of a multi-agency agreement by GMP, health services and all 10 councils to educate frontline staff who work with vulnerable children on how to spot the signs of female genital mutilation and how they can help and support.

Female genital mutilation involves procedures that include the partial or total removal of the external female genital organs for cultural or other non-therapeutic reasons. The practice is medically unnecessary, extremely painful and has serious health consequences, both at the time when the mutilation is carried out and in later life.

The conference takes place on Wednesday 12th November, 1pm to 5pm at Manchester Business School.

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