Female genital mutilation (FGM) is the sick practice whereby a girl has her labia and clitoris removed with a knife, before her vagina is effectively sealed, with a small hole left for urination and menstruation. It is carried out in predominantly North African countries – notably Somalia, Eritrea and Ethiopia – and is done to ensure the girls’ chastity and ‘cleanliness’ prior to marriage. It is a crime in the UK and one of the most repugnant violations on the rights of women and girls. And men, too – according to the College of Policing, that is.
