Better health and ageing for all Australians

National Women's Health

National Female Genital Mutilation Summit

The Australian Government convened a National Summit on Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) on 9 April 2013 at Parliament House.

In this section:

The Summit was one of the Government’s commitments to action on FGM, announced by the Prime Minister and the Minister for Health, the Hon Tanya Plibersek MP, in December 2012. Media release - Gillard Government to act on Female Genital Mutilation in Australia

 

Who attended the National FGM Summit

The National FGM Summit brought together over 80 representatives from Commonwealth and state and territory governments, health professional colleges and peak bodies, non-government and community organisations, academics, advocates and individuals impacted by FGM.

Government representatives included Minister Plibersek, who formally opened and closed the Summit, Senator the Hon Kate Lundy, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, , Senator Jan McLucas, Minister for Human Services, the Hon Dr Kim Hames MLA, West Australian Minister for Health, and Dr Andrew Laming, who represented the Coalition at the Summit. Opening speech made by Minister Plibersek.

Dr Comfort Momoh, an international guest speaker, shared her expertise and experience including roles in establishing specialised FGM clinics in England, as the vice-president of the European Network on FGM and Other Traditional Practices and as the national coordinator for developing action plans to prevent and eliminate FGM in the EU.


National Compact on Female Genital Mutilation

Following the Summit the Minister Plibersek announced the National Compact on Female Genital Mutilation. The National Compact reinforces Australia’s position that the practice of FGM is harmful, illegal and will not be tolerated and supports collaboration across the range of governments, sectors, communities and organisations to address FGM. Under the National Compact, participants agree to build on existing efforts within their influence and to work together to best support the women and girls in Australia affected by FGM and to help prevent it from occurring to a new generation.

The National Compact captures the roles that each of the sectors can play in working towards a future free from FGM, and provides a framework for participants to work together. Discussion at the Summit focused on the need for multifaceted action, integration and collaboration across sectors, including to identify opportunities to influence action, to support early prevention, intervention and management strategies and to facilitate sharing of information and resources. The potential roles of particular sectors were also considered, including: health (clinical care, workforce training, integrated systems); immigration (settlement support and community education opportunities); law enforcement (legislation and policing); academia (research and evidence building) and education (curriculum and formal education opportunities and the role of teaching staff in the early identification and management).

In addition to releasing the Compact, Minister Plibersek committed to further discussion both at the Commonwealth and state and territory levels regarding ongoing action and commitment on FGM. The National Compact proposes that the Standing Council on Health have an ongoing role in monitoring activity and progress on FGM.
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Key Issues Raised at the Summit

In line with the aims of the Summit, a range of issues were discussed, including:

The practice and impacts of FGM

Discussion focused on awareness and understanding of FGM in the Australian environment, surrounding cultural and social issues, the significant health implications of FGM, including obstetric, gynaecological and mental health complications, and current national and international responses to FGM. This included lessons that could be learnt and existing efforts that could be built on to further improve coordinated action on FGM across Australia.

Terminology issues were discussed. While the use of the term ‘mutilation’ was generally considered to reflect the seriousness of the practice, the importance of retaining the respect and dignity of those affected generated discussion of the potential need to use different language when working directly with affected individuals and communities. The importance of ensuring that all messaging around FGM made it clear that it is the ‘practice’ of FGM that is not tolerated in Australia, not the girls and women who have experienced it, was also emphasised

Community participation, empowerment and action

Discussion focused on the possible roles and contributions of men, women and communities to support action on FGM. The issues discussed included the importance of community education, engagement and intergenerational involvement, the role of community leaders and the development of women’s leadership, the need for a coordinated, multi-sector approach to FGM and the importance of providing culturally appropriate and holistic support to those living with the consequences of FGM. It was also acknowledged that FGM was not only a women’s issue but also impacted partners and families and needed to be considered within broader health, human rights and social issues.


Other Australian Government Action on FGM

  • Targeted Grants Round
A $500,000 targeted FGM grant round to further support action on FGM was announced at the Summit. Suitably skilled organisations have since been invited to apply for grant funding to support action on FGM, selected on the basis of demonstrated ability, expertise and capacity to undertake work in this field. Grant activities will be largely aimed at community awareness and education, workforce training and evidence building. The Grant activities are expected to help increase understanding of FGM and its consequences, improve support for girls and women affected by, or at risk of, FGM, and help communities move towards the abandonment of the practice.
  • Review of Legislation
At the Summit, attendees heard that the Final Report of the Attorney-General’s Review of FGM Legislation was discussed at the Standing Council on Law and Justice meeting on 5 April 2013. Ministers noted the report at the meeting and agreed to a number of recommendations aimed at ensuring Australian women and girls are protected to the greatest extent possible from this practice.
  • Data and Evidence
The Summit included discussion on the importance and the challenges of increasing the evidence base on FGM nationally. It was agreed that a multifaceted approach was the best way of building the evidence base and data collection in order to identify the scale and impact of the practice in Australia and to support targeting of prevention and support efforts, including through the Targeted Grants Round.


Links to Related Activities