Join the fight against FGM

Petition: End FGM in Ireland by 2030

Actions Taken / Goal 15,000

Overview
petition

“I got so worried seeing girls covered in blood, thinking that would be me tomorrow”. – Abigail, 13 years old, speaking with ActionAid.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is internationally recognised as a gross violation of human rights and a form of gender-based violence.

According to the Central Statistics Office, it is estimated that just under 6,000 women and girls in Ireland are survivors of FGM.

In January 2020, we saw the first FGM conviction in Ireland. The victim was a two-year-old girl. ActionAid has been working to end FGM in Ireland and abroad for many years.

Almost 10,500 people have signed our petition calling on the Government to commit to ending FGM in Ireland. We are deeply concerned that COVID-19 will drive FGM further underground in Ireland.

Programmes addressing FGM are often communal. Their delivery is not possible during COVID-19 restrictions. Without such programmes, the UNFPA estimates that an additional 2 million cases of FGM could take place over the next 10 years.

We need to protect these at-risk girls and support those who have survived this practice in Ireland. Sign now

#EndFGM

*Based on 2016 data collected by Ireland’s Central Statistics Office, an estimated 5,790 women and girls living in Ireland had undergone FGM (female genital mutilation).

Help us put an end to this horrible practice by 2030.

Sign the Petition!

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Petition: End FGM in Ireland by 2030

Actions Taken / Goal 15,000

Overview
petition

“I got so worried seeing girls covered in blood, thinking that would be me tomorrow”. – Abigail, 13 years old, speaking with ActionAid.

Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is internationally recognised as a gross violation of human rights and a form of gender-based violence.

According to the Central Statistics Office, over 6,000 women and girls in Ireland are survivors of FGM, and there are an estimated 1,600 deemed at-risk. This figure is likely to be an underestimate.

In January 2020, we saw the first FGM conviction in Ireland. The victim was a two-year-old girl. ActionAid has been working to end FGM in Ireland and abroad for many years.

Almost 10,500 people have signed our petition calling on the Government to commit to ending FGM in Ireland. We are deeply concerned that COVID-19 will drive FGM further underground in Ireland.

We need to protect these at-risk girls and support those who have survived this practice in Ireland. Sign now

#EndFGM

*Based on 2016 data collected by Ireland’s Central Statistics Office, an estimated 5,790 women and girls living in Ireland had undergone FGM (female genital mutilation). We also know that as many as 1,632 girls living in Ireland are estimated to be at high risk. FGM is a global issue and in Europe alone nearly 350,000 girls are at risk, including infants and toddlers.

Help us put an end to this horrible practice by 2030.

Sign the Petition!

First Name*
Surname*
Email Address*
Phone Number
Do you consent to receive emails and/or calls from ActionAid Ireland about this and other campaigns? You may change your preferences at any time by getting in touch with us. Please, select an option below:
Opt-in*
- Yes! Tell me if this petition wins, and how I can help further to solve this violation of women’s rights
- No. I do not want to hear about this petition's progress or other relevant campaigns
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ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS:

Part of the difficulty in recognising and addressing the problem in Ireland is the lack of awareness and the fact that the people needing services are often already excluded. They are women, they are children and very often they are migrants. Please, make sure to visit our FAQ section to debunk some of the most common misconceptions about FGM in Ireland and abroad.

We can end the practice of FGM in Ireland by 2030, but we need your help.

We are asking the Government to commit to the development and implementation of a National Action Plan on FGM in collaboration with state-bodies, civil society groups and affected communities.

This is a key recommendation of the National Steering Committee on FGM. We need a Government-led response that includes prevention and support.

Together we can end this torture of women and girls.

Make a monthly donation to help #EndFGM

*Based on 2016 data collected by Ireland’s Central Statistics Office, an estimated 5,790 women and girls living in Ireland had undergone FGM. We also know that as many as 1,632 girls living in Ireland are estimated to be at high risk. FGM is a global issue and in Europe alone nearly 350,000 girls are at risk, including infants and toddlers.

For more information please visit our FAQ section.

Recently we hosted our first online discussion “Women Rising: The Global Fight to End FGM”.

Our panel of experts talked about FGM and we had the opportunity to hear from people with lived experience and the challenges in fighting it. We also talked about what you could do to help.

In case you’ve missed it, here’s a recording of the event. Watch FGM discussion now.

The more people who know about FGM – the greater chance we have of ending this practice in Ireland and abroad.

If you would like to help further please, share our page on social media, using the icons below.

FGM is a form of torture and a gross violation of human rights. It robs girls of their childhood, their right to choose and in some cases, even their right to life. Yet this practice continues here in the Ireland and across the world.

Many in Ireland hear about FGM and think it only happens in faraway lands. Unfortunately, this is far from reality.

We are committed to ending this practice and we need you to join us.

Sign Now.

First Name*
Surname*
Email Address*
Phone Number
Do you consent to receive emails and/or calls from ActionAid Ireland about this and other campaigns? You may change your preferences at any time by getting in touch with us. Please, select an option below:
Opt-in*
- Yes! Tell me if this petition wins, and how I can help further to solve this violation of women’s rights
- No. I do not want to hear about this petition's progress or other relevant campaigns
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*Based on 2016 data collected by Ireland’s Central Statistics Office.

End FGM in Ireland by 2030.

Today is International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). According to our latest figures, a staggering 5,790 women and girls in Ireland have survived genital mutilation and another 1,632 are still at risk and vulnerable.*

FGM is internationally recognised as a gross violation of human rights, a form of gender-based violence against women and girls and a manifestation of unequal gender relations.

We are asking the incoming government to commit to eradicating the practice of FGM on women and girls in Ireland by 2030.