Female Genital Mutilation
Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female circumcision or female genital cutting, is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as "all procedures involving partial or total removal of the external female genitalia or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons".
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WHO estimates that between 130 to 140 million girls and women are victims of FGM with those from the African continent recording an annual estimate of 3 million victims (AFRUCA, What is FGM brochure)
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In 2001 it was estimated that nearly 66,000 women with FGM were living in England and Wales (Foundation for Women's Health, Research and Development, 2006)