8th April 2011

Government abolishes only FGM post

The government has scrapped its job post dedicated to combating the subjection of women and girls from the UK to female genital mutilation (FGM).

The move was criticised by campaigners, who told the Guardiannewspaper last week that, without a central government co-ordinator, efforts to raise awareness among professionals on a local level could be seriously hampered.

Responsibility for work on FGM will now be shared between officials in the Home Office, Department of Health, Foreign Office and Department for Education as part of other duties.

Diana Nammi, director of the Iranian and Kurdish Women's Rights Organisation told the paper the move "speaks about a real lack of commitment from the government and a marginalisation of this hugely important issue".

However, the government said the decision to spread the work between several departments would mean that it would be "better integrated".

About 24,000 girls in the UK are thought to be at risk of FGM.