Intervening in female genital mutilation (FGM)

FGM is a crime

Female genital mutilation (FGM) violates several international human rights conventions to which Finland is committed. Female genital mutilation and any related preparations are punishable acts under the Criminal Code of Finland: 

• Incitement, coercion and assistance, such as sending a child to another country for genital mutilation, are also crimes.
• The statute of limitations for prosecution related to FGM is 20 years. If a minor girl has undergone FGM, the limitation period begins when she turns 18.
• If a Finnish citizen or a person comparable to one, such as a foreign national permanently residing in Finland, commits FGM abroad, the act is punishable even if it is not considered a crime under the laws of that country. 

Criminal Code of Finland, Chapter 21: Homicide and bodily injury (in Finnish, Finlex)

The risk of FGM may constitute grounds for international protection, and all asylum seekers must be asked about FGM during their initial health examination.
How to ask about FGM during an initial assessment (in Finnish, Youtube)

Suspected FGM

The same guidelines apply to suspected FGM as to reporting any other forms of violence. If you are unsure whether FGM meets the criteria for mandatory reporting in a child’s situation, consult the police, child welfare services or a forensic psychology centre.

In some situations, involving child welfare authorities and the police may create a risk of the family leaving the country before help can be arranged for the child. Therefore, it is important that child welfare services and the police investigate the situation before the guardians are informed that a report has been filed. If necessary, border authorities may prevent the family from leaving the country.

In case of a suspected offence, the police or child welfare services first meet the child and then each guardian separately. Guardians are only met if it is confirmed that the matter may be disclosed to them. Meeting guardians separately makes it more likely for family members to speak more openly about issues they may be hiding from each other. The risk must be assessed for all children in the family.  

In unclear situations, it is appropriate to consult child welfare services or the police. For example, when: 

• FGM has probably been carried out abroad before the family’s arrival in Finland.
• A girl who has already undergone FGM has a younger sister in the same family.

Notifying female genital mutilation (FGM)

Guidelines on the exchange of information between healthcare and the police (in Finnish, Valto)

Addressing FGM

Female genital mutilation is a sensitive topic that can feel difficult to raise. However, it is important to do so as early as possible. Addressing the issue is the most effective form of preventive work.

It is important to remember that FGM is considered a normal and respected practice in specific cultural contexts. In a new environment, girls and women who have undergone FGM may feel different, which can make them anxious about meeting a professional.

How to raise the topic of FGM?

Bring up FGM, for example, before long holidays when families may travel abroad to their former home countries. Remind the family that relatives and acquaintances may suggest FGM for the girl. If, after a trip, there is suspicion that FGM has been performed, investigate the matter. 

When talking with the client, it is best to use the term the client themselves uses, such as “circumcision” or “cutting”.  

Make it easier to address the topic by: 

• having the issue listed in the client’s pre-information form
• explaining that the next discussion will cover intimate and sensitive matters
• using ready-made phrases for professionals to clarify the issue
• informing the client that the professional is obliged to ask about the matter
• opening the discussion with cultural or family traditions 

You can ask the client, for example: 

• Which country are you from? Which country is your family originally from? 
• Do you know what female genital cutting means? 
• According to the map, female genital cutting is common in your country of origin. How is the practice viewed in your family or community?
• Have your mother or your sisters been subject to female genital cutting? What about you? 
• How do you intend to act regarding your own daughter? 

In preventive work, it is essential to understand the tradition of FGM and its prevention as part of combating violence. As a professional, your task is to raise the topic in a confidential and culturally sensitive way at maternity and child health clinic appointments or in school and student health care, especially when discussing changes related to puberty. Address the issue with children and young people in an age-appropriate manner. 

Explain the health risks, offer support, explore parents’ attitudes, inform them that FGM is illegal and, if necessary, file a child welfare notification and a police report. Document all discussions. In unclear situations, consult the authorities and always prioritise the child’s safety.

Early childhood education and care works in cooperation with child health clinics and child welfare services, and managers in early childhood education and care must ensure that staff are also knowledgeable about this topic. Raise the issue with parents, for example, during discussions about the early childhood education and care plan and before longer holidays to countries where FGM is practised. All children have the right to physical integrity and health.

Materials for addressing FGM and raising the topic

• What does FGM mean and how to support a client who has experienced it (in Finnish, Youtube)
• What does FGM mean and how to support a client who has experienced it (In Kurdish Soran, Youtube)
• How to raise the topic of FGM (in Finnish and in Somali, Youtube)
• Preventing and addressing female genital mutilation in child health clinics (in Finnish, Julkari)
• Preventing female genital mutilation in school and student health care (in Finnish, Julkari)

Leaflets