Female Genital Mutilation

The Group has been active over the last few years in lobbying and advocating on the issue of FGM. The Chair of the Group, Christine McCafferty MP, with the support of NGOs and parliamentary colleagues put forward a Ten Minute Rule Bill to amend the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act of 1985.

At the beginning of the 2002-03 parliamentary session, Ann Clwyd MP won seventh place in the ballot for Private Member's Bills. She has now taken on the Ten Minute Rule Bill with the support of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Population, Development and Reproductive Health.

The Bill gained Royal Assent on the 23 October 2003 and is now law. The various debates and stages of the Bill over the past year can be accessed below, listed in reverse chronological order.

FGM Act30 October 2003
Third Reading, Lords23 October 2003
Second Reading, Lords 12 September 2003
Third Reading, Commons11 July 2003
Committee Stage of the Bill

25 June 2003

Draft of Bill as 25 June 2003
Second Reading, Commons21 March 2003
Explanatory notes

The Ten Minute Rule Bill is based on the conclusions reached by a parliamentary hearing organised by the Group in 2000. See below for details of the Parliamentary Hearing held in 2000 and details of the survey produced by the group.

 

FGM Parliamentary Hearing 2000

Click here to view the Survey Report & Analysis
Click here to view the Parliamentary Hearing
Click here to view the evidence transcript

 

Links to FGM information sources

 

 

Further questions or debates on FGM that have taken place in Parliament can be found in the Commons News and Lords News sections of the website. Alternatively you can search our website by clicking here