Sir, – Female genital mutilation (FGM) refers to the partial or total destruction of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. The practice poses serious health threats and is widely considered to be a violation of women’s and girl’s human rights.
Almost 2,700 women and girls living in Ireland are still at risk of FGM. Ireland has shown leadership and enacted the Criminal Justice (FGM) Act (2012) making FGM illegal in Ireland, and signed up to international agreements to abolish FGM. However, more needs to be done to protect vulnerable women and girls. There remains a gap in the coordination of services in Ireland and an immediate need for further Government action, including the allocation of sufficient funding, to end FGM. While we wait for these recommendations to be taken up, almost 2,700 girls in Ireland remain at risk. – Yours, etc,
SIOBHÁN McGEE,
Action Aid Ireland,
Granby Place,
Parnell Square,Dublin 1.