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A pan-European conference jointly hosted by FORWARD and the End FGM European Nework which will focus on tackling FGM in schools and education settings. The conference aims to enable key professionals and education authorities to improve their understanding of the critical role that schools and education professionals play in addressing FGM, to share best practices and develop new insights and skills for safeguarding and preventing this grave human rights violation. Click here to book your place.

 

About the conference

Female genital mutilation (FGM) is a human rights violation that affects many communities living in Europe. The European Union has expressed a strong commitment to eliminating FGM and many European countries, including the UK, have introduced measures to address the problem. Although FGM is considered a crime in most of Europe, over 500,000 women and girls living here are affected by FGM, with a further 180,000 girls at risk, including 66,000 in the UK. However, sharing of lessons across the EU on the role of schools in responding to FGM has been limited.

The Foundation for Women’s Health Research and Development (FORWARD) with support from the End FGM European Network are organising a Pan-European conference to address this gap as part of the events to mark the International Day of Zero Tolerance to FGM. The conference will focus on tackling FGM in schools and education settings. The conference aims to enable key professionals and education authorities to improve their understanding of the critical role that schools and education professionals play in addressing FGM, to share best practices and develop new insights and skills for safeguarding and preventing this grave human rights violation.

Young people are in the highest risk category for FGM and it is increasingly understood that schools play a central role in responding to, and safeguarding against, the practice. This timely conference will feature policy makers, thought-provoking initiatives, lead organisations and experts from across the UK and Europe as well as providing an opportunity for policy discussions, interactive and practical sessions and networking.

Who is FORWARD and the END FGM Network?

FORWARD is the leading African women led organisation working on female genital mutilation, child marriage and maternal health in the UK and Africa. Since 2013 FORWARD has led the way working with schools to end FGM through our multi-award-winning National Schools Programme. The programme educates and empowers schools, young people and teachers with knowledge on the issue of FGM, contextualised within frameworks such as human rights, gender equality and bodily integrity. FORWARD’s National Schools Programme has worked with over 25,000 young people in schools across the country, trained nearly 6,000 members of school staff, two academy chains and worked with nine local authorities to support the implementation of a regional coordinated schools response to FGM.

The End FGM European Network (END FGM) is a European umbrella network of 16 organisations working to ensure sustainable European action to end FGM. The network creates an enabling environment for coordinated and comprehensive action by European decision-makers to end FGM and other forms of violence against women and girls.

Who should attend?

This conference is ideal for those working in educational settings, policy makers and non-government organisations. This includes:

  • Head teachers, school governors, safeguarding/child protection leads, subject leads and PSHE coordinators from primary, secondary schools and colleges from the UK and across Europe.
  • Staff and organisations working on violence against women and girls (VAWG) or women’s health.
  • Local authority staff and education policy makers.

What can attendees expect from this conference?

World-class speakers representing national and European government, local authorities, schools, community and third sector organisations. Panel discussions and Q&A’s with audience participation. Workshops building skills to deliver FGM sessions to primary and secondary school pupils, peer-to-peer outreach, running parents sessions, and integrating FGM into your PSHE curriculum. 

You can download the day's Programme here.

When
February 23rd, 2017 from  9:00 AM to  4:30 PM
Location
One George Street
Westminster
London, SW1P 3AA
United Kingdom
Contact
Phone: 02089604000 ext. 6
Event Fee(s)
Conference Attendance (1) £125.00