New passport to help parents to say no to female genital mutilation

Sweden was the first country in the western world, which banned female genital mutilation in 1982. In 1998 tightened the law and it was forbidden to participate in the genital mutilation abroad.

According to an assessment by the national Board of health made the 2012 there are still approximately 19.000 girls in Sweden are at risk of becoming könsstympade.

Therefore, Anissa Mohammed Hassan, the particular expert in female genital mutilation at the National kompetensteamet against hedersförtryck, and Maha Eichoue, manager at the County administrative board in Östergötland, produced a könsstympningspass. It should be used as a tool in preventive work against female genital mutilation.

– Könsstympningpasset are available in thirteen different languages, and includes information about female genital mutilation is prohibited by law in Sweden, " says Anissa Mohammed Hassan.

to be able to take with itself the passport on a trip abroad to show off to relatives and others that genital mutilation is a crime in Sweden. There are also different types of fgm and what are the consequences of genital mutilation can lead to.

"Hopefully it can be used to resist pressure from family and network that advocates the practice," says Anissa Mohammed Hassan.

the DN told me in a previous article about how Amelmottagningen for könsstympade increased its visitors by 80% in two years through an information campaign addressed to employees within the health care system.

Anissa Mohammed Hassan stresses that it is important to proactively reach the children and parents who are in the risk zone. Even here, the könsstympningspasset get to use, she says.

" We need to change people's attitudes. Those who already have been exposed to or at risk need to get information about fgm, its consequences, the law, and where they can turn for help, " says Anissa Mohammed Hassan.

many municipalities and county councils about how they are working against genital mutilation. She says it can look very different from municipality to municipality. Often she gets to hear that fgm is such a sensitive issue that it is difficult to talk about.

" I think könsstympningspasset is a tool that can open up the taboo. Here are the basic information you need to know to begin to discuss the issue. We need to start talking about this and stop blaming that it is a sensitive issue.

most of The guys will be very sorry when they understand what the girls have been subjected to. All said the same thing, that they thought that it was pretty much the same thing as the circumcision that they themselves suffered as children.

Personally, she is often out in the schools, on the SFI-training programmes and child health clinics, and give lectures and training courses. When we talk when she has just finished a seminar on female genital mutilation at a school. Nearly all of the participants were boys.

– most of The guys will be very sorry when they understand what the girls have been subjected to. All said the same thing, that they thought that it was pretty much the same thing as the circumcision that they themselves suffered as children. There is never anyone who told them about the difference, for example, that girls sometimes have a problem with pee. They think that it is terrible.

she hits the young people. She tends to educate the school staff and principal, then informs her students, girls and boys separately. If there is time, she finds them together. She starts with the staff that an adult must be able to answer the children's questions when Anissa is not available.

– It tends to be lively discussions. Often, young people want to me to meet their parents and tell. When I do it.

There are no known cases where genital mutilation carried out in Sweden. Instead, it is often that the parents take their daughters to their home countries, where genital mutilation is carried out.

– Research at Uppsala university shows that, in Sweden, there are adults from countries where fgm is common that is positive to perform a certain type of female genital mutilation. It worries me deeply. If we don't do something about it, we are failing these children, " says Bayan Nasih, an expert on Kompetensteamet.

Anissa Mohammed Hassan, Bayan Nasih and Mikael Thörn. Photo: Samira Osman, Elisabeth Ubbe and Private

to be the parents who want to könsstympa their girls. Parents may, themselves, are reluctant, but are under severe pressure by relatives, friends or neighbours. Much pressure, the parents can be exposed if they are travelling to their home countries.

– It is, among other things, therefore, we hope that Könsstympningspasset come to use, " says Anissa Mohammed Hassan.

In Sweden, is female genital mutilation prohibited since 1982. Tariffs have been increased and now stands at between two and ten years in prison, and has introduced a prohibition against even to do the procedure abroad on the children who live in Sweden.

During all these years, it is only the three cases that reached conviction.

to three years in prison for having forced on her daughter to genital mutilation. Shortly thereafter sentenced a man to two years in jail for genital mutilation of his daughter.

In February 2018 sentenced a man to three months in prison for having planned the genital mutilation of their two daughters since the child's mother raised the alarm.

" today, We have a strong legislation on female genital mutilation, but it is not enough because we have so few judgments. Therefore, we must work very prevention to disseminate information and knowledge, " says Anissa.

She believes that many rättsmedicinare do not have sufficient competence to be able to determine if the clitoris has been damaged or cut away at a child.

female genital mutilation is a difficult area for the law enforcement authorities, which requires special knowledge.

" We have only three convictions. The cases have been closed, and the police confirms the difficulties of investigating and securing evidence. It has happened that suspected guardians who freed received damages, which gives a wrong signal.

He thinks that there are considerably more than the estimated 38.000 living in Sweden who have been subjected to genital mutilation.

Mikael Thörn, in the day of Jämställdhetsmyndigheten, was involved in the first judgment of female genital mutilation 2006, then as a social worker. Since the end of the 90's, he has in different ways worked with questions about the hedersförtryck.

He believes that there are considerably more than the estimated 38.000 living in Sweden who have been subjected to genital mutilation.

– There is a very low estimate. I would rather think that it is about the double. It should be far more likely to get care than those who get it in the day, " he says.

tasked by the government to make an inventory of effective approaches to change attitudes and behaviors in the case of genital mutilation of girls and women.

– It is about information and prevention efforts. A special focus we put on to look up good examples of leisure based activities, open ungdomsverksamheter and a meeting space that is managed to prevent and combat female genital mutilation, " says Mikael Thörn.

This inventory is in progress during the spring.

Michael Thorn says it is especially important to find the interaction between civil society and the public sector.

– It is necessary to work long and patiently with this issue so that it is not just temporary short-term bets, " he says.

Könsstympningspasset.