Female Genital Mutilation

This is an issue very close to my heart. My mother has been a campaigner against FGM all my life, I've been to more conferences and campaigning events than I can count. I have discussed the issue at length with Mum and bored friends and I even write a chapter of my graduate dissertation on the topic.

Every time there is an article in the press about FGM being carried out on young British girls in the UK and abroad, my heart sinks and my stomach churns. Despite all the legislation the deeper social and cultural changes that must be made to make this horrible practice socially unpalatable seem to be impossible.

But what we can offer is counselling and training of medical professionals and that is certainly no small beer. In time we can only hope that this, coupled with legislation and the educational work taken on by FORWARD UK and other anti FGM charities will prevent seven and eight year old young girls being taken on much longed for summer holidays that they will never, ever be able to forget.

Two women I greatly respect and admire for their work in the field; Comfort Momoh and Naana Otoo-Oyortey amongst others speak here in this article about the work that they do.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2010/jul/25/female-circumcision-children-british-law

Please donate to anti FGM charity FORWARD UK http://www.forwarduk.org.uk/

So...

It's been almost a year since I blogged last. What happened was I got a crazy job that left me no time to do anything else at all, like not even sleep. I've left there now (and the meedja-possibly) and have a lot more time on my hands.

So what happened in a year...

- I left Jezebel - what will I write about?
- I've yelled at a lot of people
- Have realise that people who work at press offices at charities are just as sucky as people who work in press offices anywhere else
- The British public/The Libereal Democrats are as gullible as all get out.
- I am increasingly becoming part of UK social trends
- I was unemployed for a while - this has never happened before
- I planted grass in my garden and baked a lot of cakes
- I listened to 'cool' music about 4 months after everyone else. Have you guys heard The XX?

That's about it. But I'm back (baby). This time around, there will be more photos and less yelling about what some daft woman said on a daft website that only enrages me.