Female genital mutilation is a practice that has taken place very much behind closed doors. When you read the statistics, it's horrifying to know that grandmothers, mothers, and midwives have been performing female genital mutilation. The doctors who have been involved have not been forthcoming about what they have seen or what they have experienced with their patients. The first doctor to be prosecuted for performing female genital mutilation in the United Kingdom was last year, although it's been going on now for almost over a decade. There is a lack of awareness.
To be very honest with you, I grew up in Pakistan, and when I came to Canada I first heard the term “FGM”. It's primarily an African tribal cultural practice that has been imported into western society with immigrants coming to these countries. When I educated myself and started learning about it, I realized that there was an appalling lack of awareness. Teachers, people who are in the education field, and people in the medical field are the ones who have first-hand contact with these young women. They need to be aware.