A human rights approach to training and campaigning to end Female Genital Mutilation

The Centre for Applied Childhood studies at the University of Huddersfield asserts a belief in fundamental inalienable human rights and in the inherent dignity and worth of children. We have a particular interest in the needs of children, women and families and in human rights protection. We have given great consideration to outstanding work being done towards ending Female Genital Mutilation by organisations and organisational bodies, such as yours. We fully support these efforts and the potential changes to practices and policy they may bring about.

We want to draw attention to the practice of using video footage and photo-images of FGM being carried out on children and young people. Some organisations in the UK do this as part of awareness raising including, but not limited to, training programmes, through media outlets, as teaching tools and in website campaigns. We recognise this is not the approach of all agencies working on this issue but we are asking all organisations to support our call to reconsider the practice of using video footage and photo-images of FGM being carried out.

As a Centre concerned with raising awareness on a host of issues, including child abuse and gender-based violence, we understand that there are a number of good intentions and considered reasons why video-footage and photo-images might be being used. However, we are concerned about the ethical issues involved in this approach and its contradiction with the human rights principles to which we all subscribe.