Hansard

I thank Margaret McCulloch for securing the debate. The Equal Opportunities Committee was very keen that we should have a debate, although there was not normal committee time available in the chamber. Most committee members will speak in the debate. Sandra White apologises for not being here: she had another commitment that she could not get out of.

It is not the easiest topic to speak about, but I believe that we have a duty to speak about it, and that men in particular have a duty to speak about it and not to claim that we have no responsibility.

One of the main facts that the committee learned is that it is very difficult to find out the facts of what is happening in Scotland today. In the past, we would have assumed that FGM was restricted mainly to the 29 or so countries where it is most commonly practised, and perhaps to the additional countries to which a significant minority had migrated from those countries.

In the past, that would not have included Scotland to any real extent, but things have changed. In Scotland, we have a much more diverse population than we used to have, and I very much welcome that. We gain from a whole variety of new Scots, including, in my experience, African Christians who are involved in churches and bringing a real enthusiasm.

However, alongside that positive input from other cultures, there can be more negative practices appearing and FGM is certainly one of those. In Scotland’s national action plan, the wording on pages 11 and 12 is couched very carefully and wisely under the heading “FGM in the Scottish Context”.

“There are no clear and robust figures for the prevalence of FGM in Scotland because of the hidden nature of the crime. In its report, Tackling FGM in Scotland - towards a Scottish model of intervention, the Scottish Refugee Council analysed ... data. ... the report did not seek to determine ‘prevalence’ of FGM, but rather found that ... there were 23,979 men, women and children born in one of the 29 countries identified by UNICEF (2013) as an ‘FGM-practising country’, living in Scotland in 2011.”

It also says that

“2,750 girls were born in Scotland to mothers born in an FGM-practising country between 2001 and 2012.”

This was very much the line from witnesses who the committee heard from in our evidence sessions. However, we also heard from some working in the sector that they are virtually certain that cutting is being carried out, in Glasgow and Edinburgh at least. Perhaps more common is the tendency for girls to be taken back by their families to the country of their roots for the procedure to be carried out there, with the parents often being under considerable family pressure.

Clearly, legislation is part of the answer, but we also heard of innovative ways of approaching the issue, for example by attempting to get parents to sign a certificate promising not to allow FGM to be carried out on their daughters. That might have no legal weight, but it can make a difference to the parents’ own attitude and can strengthen their resolve when under pressure from extended family.

Last Tuesday, we had a very useful event hosted by the committee at which Margaret McCulloch, Alex Neil and representatives of some of those tackling the issue spoke. As always, it was particularly moving to hear from survivors of FGM speaking about some of their personal experiences. I found it helpful to hear from a young guy from an African background whose mother had, perhaps unusually, discussed it with him and who has since become passionate about educating his peers who come from a similar background.

It is useful to emphasise, as Margaret McCulloch also did, that FGM is a cultural practice that does not have any basis in any religion. It is clear that there is a huge difference between FGM and male circumcision. The two are not comparable and there are both health and religious arguments for male circumcision that are certainly not replicated for FGM.

I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to speak in the debate. The committee members unanimously felt that we would like to raise the issue in the chamber. My hope is that both the Parliament and the Government will continue to treat FGM with the seriousness it deserves.