Which organizations and support agencies work in the field of female genital mutilation (FGM) in Norway?
This was the question this investigation sought to answer in identifying services and organizations operating in the field of female genital mutilation in Norway. The authorities also wanted to know what sort of work is done in practice, the scale of the operations, the type of expertise involved, and whether the bodies and organizations work together with other care services.
The survey concentrated in particular on the child welfare authorities insofar as that service is responsible for dealing with inquiries about FGM and reports of concern coming from other care services and for investigating cases involving this type of problem.
Ministry of Children, Equality and Social Inclusion commissioned the project. It comprises Action 6 and 8 in the Government’s Plan of Action for Combating Female Genital Mutilation 2008–2011.
1021 questionnaires sent out – 255 returned.
The survey faced significant challenges because no one body or individual is aware of every organization or agency working in the field of combating female genital mutilation in Norway. The questionnaire was sent to public and voluntary services/organizations which, one assumed, were involved in FGM-related work in 120 municipalities. The sample eligibility criterion was whether the municipality had a reception centre for asylum seekers or at least one hundred residents from counties where FGM is practiced. The questionnaire was sent to 1021 recipients; 255 came back to NKVTS.
The investigation does not solve the problem concerning the scale or reach of the services involved in combating FGM in Norway. The material is nonetheless sufficient to draw a picture of how the services work in the field, their procedures for tackling FGM, the scale of the work performed by the services which filled in the questionnaire, and the nature of challenges facing these bodies.
Treatment and prevention
Three organizations stand above the rest when it comes to combating FGM: the health services, child welfare services and reception centres for asylum seekers. Together they account for 73 per cent of the bodies in the final sample. The reception centres are obliged to inform all newcomers that female genital cutting is prohibited in Norway. They shall also help individuals who were genitally mutilated prior to arrival in Norway obtain medical treatment. In addition to offering treatment for genitally mutilated girls and women, the health services seek to prevent FGM by spreading relevant information. The child welfare authorities provide assistance while also monitoring genitally mutilated children and adolescents and those at risk of FGM. Other service providers are obliged to alert the child welfare authorities whenever their suspicion is aroused of a likely or imminent case of female genital mutilation – they have a duty to avert such procedures.
Three in four bodies have procedures for tackling FGM-related issues
Although fewer than half of the services have first-hand experience of FGM-related issues, three in four bodies have procedures in place for different types of FGM work and experience of putting the procedures into practice. Service employees have received training in the subject of FGM and promote prevention by means of training/teaching, counseling/advice and spreading information. Two in three bodies have one or more employees with a responsibility for FGM-related matters.
Few alerts and many dismissed cases
Fewer than half of the 52 child welfare agencies in the sample had had cases involving FGM. In 2009, 14 child welfare agencies received 41 new case alerts and initiated inquiries in 44 cases. More than one in three alerts were dismissed and two in three investigated cases were closed without further action.
Organizational underpinning of FGM work
The extent of organizational underpinning varies from service to service, and shows that about 60 per cent of the health services and reception centres have formulated procedures for their FGM-related work; over a third have entered into partnership agreements; while fewer have written plans for their FGM-related work. In contrast to this, only a third of the child welfare agencies have formulated standard procedures for this type of case; only 15 per cent collaborate with other services; and only 10 per cent have written plans for their FGM-related work.
Employees with «specialist knowledge» of FGM
More than half of the services in the sample have employees who have taken courses or further education programs with a focus on FGM.
Different approaches to the work
The different services and organizations pursue FGM-related work in many different ways. One of the principal responsibilities of the health services is to treat post-FGM injuries, but they also work as much as the other services in the areas of parental guidance and contingency planning by putting employees through training programs. Seven in ten bodies undertake different forms of preventative work. Examples of preventative action include instructing employees of other services and affected groups about FGM.
Desire to widen and strengthen collaboration with other services
The bodies in the sample work widely with other services in combating FGM, especially various health services, but also child welfare services and schools. That notwithstanding, most of them see a need to widen and strengthen collaboration with other services. This is particular the case with services such as child welfare agencies, community nurses, doctors, police, schools, day-care centres and reception centres for asylum seekers.
Recommendations of the Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies
In light of the findings of the survey of work related to female genital mutilation in different public care services and voluntary organizations, the Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Stress Studies (NKVTS) recommends maintaining the same level of preparedness in this type of work until the actual scale of the problem is better known. Many services have little knowledge of what actually works when it comes to combating female genital mutilation. NKVTS therefore recommends that topics which the services claim they have scarce knowledge of, get a specific focus at conferences that are held in charge of central authorities. In addition they should highlight examples of good approaches in this work. Experts and members of minorities from countries with traditions of FGM should continue to be drafted in to help the work forward. Inter- service collaboration should be widened and strengthened by establishing a cross- disciplinary teams and forums.
Prevention of FGM by the local authorities should be seen in connection with local plans of actions concerning domestic violence. This so as to enable a more coherent, integrated service for affected people. The function of the Regional Resource Centres on Violence, Traumatic Stress and Suicide Prevention as centres of advice for different bodies should be made more widely known. At the same time, NKVTS urges the Ministry of Children and Equality to work together with the regional resource centres to define which groups and responsibilities should be targeted and addressed by this service in the field of FGM.