The secretary general of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon,  praised the  ‘courageous’ campaign after meeting 17-year-old activist Fahma Mohamed.  According to an article in today’s Guardian, the UN secretary general has promised to use the influence and reach of the United Nations to move the successful Guardian-backed campaign to tackle female genital mutilation in the UK on to the global stage.

Fahma Mohamed, FGM campaigner
Photograph: Christian Sinibaldi for the Guardian

According to the Guardian, “after more than 230,000 people had signed the campaign, the education secretary agreed to meet Fahma and other members of the anti-FGM charity Integrate Bristol, and pledged to write to all headteachers drawing their attention to safeguarding guidelines and providing specific information about FGM. He then visited her school, the City Academy Bristol, to learn more about how FGM could be taught in schools in an age-appropriate way.

“The Scottish govermment has also written to all schools asking them to train teachers and parents about the risks and warning signs of FGM.

“There are signs that the campaign is already having an impact on a global scale. In the United States Jaha Durkay, a 24-year-old victim of FGM, has started her own campaign on Change.org after being inspired by Fahma.”  To read the original MidwifeInsight article, go to http://midwifeinsight.com/articles/ending-female-genital-mutilation-a-difficult-topic-but-one-that-must-be-addressed/