PARLIAMENTARY EARLY DAY MOTION
FEMALE GENITAL MUTILATION (10 March 2003)

That this House condemns the practice of female genital mutilation, which violates the human rights of girls and women to bodily integrity and has adverse health and social implications; notes that an estimated 130 million women and girls in the world have undergone female genital mutilation and that two million girls are at risk of undergoing some form of the procedure every year; further notes that in the UK women who have undergone female genital mutilation are increasingly presenting themselves to health care professionals, and specialist clinics are treating hundreds of women with female genital mutilation related complications; regrets that there have been no prosecutions under the UK Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985; welcomes the Private Members Bill on female genital mutilation, as a follow-up to the all-Party Parliamentary Group on Population, Development and Reproductive Health's Hearing's report on female genital mutilation to enable people who attempt to circumvent UK laws by taking girls abroad for female genital mutilation, even to countries where the practice is lawful, to be prosecuted on their return to the UK. Development and Reproductive Health's Hearing's Report on female genital mutilation; and urges Her Majesty's Government to act on this Bill, changing the law on female genital mutilation to enable people who attempt to circumvent UK laws by taking girls abroad for female genital mutilation, even to countries where the practice is lawful, to be prosecuted on their return to the UK.

Sponsored by:
Chris McCafferty (Labour)