Female Genital Mutilation (FGM): Health, Law, and Socio-Cultural Sensitivity

Help bridge the gap between FGM and medical education

FGM causes devastating mental and physical health impacts. Yet a gap in education on FGM has led to a lack of confidence among health care professionals to deal with this harmful practice.

On this four-week course, you’ll build your understanding of Female Genital Mutilation to help you recognise and report indicators of FGM or plans to inflict it.

This knowledge will increase your confidence and help you play a role in ending FGM.

Discover the impacts of FGM on women and girl’s health

You’ll learn the definition and the four types of Female Genital Mutilation before exploring the physiological and psychological aspects of FGM on women and girl’s health.

This understanding will help you identify the clinical diagnosis and the treatment for both the physical and mental health of victims of FGM.

Explore the legal duty of health and social care workers in reporting FGM

There is a legal duty for health and social care professionals, educators, and police personnel to recognise and report physical or other indicators of FGM practices.

You’ll evaluate when and how it is appropriate to act in relation to your legal responsibilities and learn to apply your knowledge to recognise and report FGM.

Explore different perspectives alongside the experts at the University of Aberdeen

You’ll explore socio-cultural perspectives of FGM and how to manage difficult conversations.

This critical approach will help you analyse case studies of FGM practices from a range of perspectives.

You’ll learn from the experts at the University of Aberdeen who have created the course alongside a team of academics and medics who have been working on FGM projects for a number of years.

This course is designed for health and social care professionals, educators, police, and anyone with an interest in women and girl’s health and ending Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

• An Introduction to FGM
• Introduction
• Defining Female Genital Mutilation (FGM)
• The prevalence of FGM both nationally and internationally
• Classifying and identifying different types of FGM
• Physiological and psychological aspects of FGM and women’s and girls’ health 
• FGM and the Wider Picture
• Introduction
• Understand the complexities of clinically diagnosing FGM
• Understand the treatment options available to FGM survivors both for physical and mental health
• Understand how to recognise women and girls at risk of FGM
• Be able to explain what the SDGs are
• Understand how advocacy against the practice fits into the bigger picture of the SDGs
• FGM Legislation and Safeguarding
• Introduction
• United Kingdom and Global Outlook
• Protecting at risk girls and women
• Case Studies
• Striking a balance
• Conclusion
• Public Health and Critical Approaches to Tackling FGM
• Introduction
• Socio-cultural perspectives
• Managing difficult conversations
• Critical approaches to FGM
• Moving towards ending FGM