New Sentencing Guidelines For Child Cruelty Offences To Come Into Force

06 Thursday Sep 2018

Posted by Natasha in child abuse, FGM, Researching Reform

Guidelines published today by the Sentencing Council set down new sentencing rules for child cruelty offences, as well as failing to protect girls from the risk of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). The new protocols will come into force on 1 January, 2019.

The guidance covers three separate offences:

cruelty to a child;
causing or allowing a child to die or suffer serious physical harm; and
failing to protect a girl from the risk of FGM

The guidelines come three months after the Justice Committee released a report in which the parliamentary group made several recommendations, including the addition of two further offences: causing or allowing a child to die or suffer serious physical harm, and failing to protect a child from the risk of FGM. The report also offered a range of aggravating and mitigating factors to be taken into account when sentencing offenders for child cruelty and FGM related crimes, which appear to be reflected in the new guidelines.

Sentencing Council member Mrs Justice Maura McGowan, gives her thoughts on the new guidelines in the Council’s press release:

“Child cruelty offences vary greatly. They can range from a one-off lapse of care which puts a child at risk of harm to a campaign of deliberate cruelty which leads to serious injury or even death. This new guideline will help ensure sentences that reflect what the offender has done and the harm to the child. It states for example that cases involving very significant force, or multiple incidents of serious cruelty should always be treated as being in the highest category of culpability. The guideline will also assist sentencers in cases where the offender has also been the victim of abuse from another.”

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Report Looking At Child Rights In Iran Launches Ahead Of UNICEF’s Day Of The Girl

06 Friday Oct 2017

Posted by Natasha in child welfare, FGM, Researching Reform

≈ 3 Comments

A report produced by the Small Media Foundation, which looks at Iran’s track record in keeping up with its obligations under the UN Convention On The Rights Of The Child is set to launch on 10th October, 2017, ahead of UNICEF’s International Day Of The Girl Child.

IDOTG

The launch is being co-hosted by the Persia Educational Foundation, a UK based charity which advances the right to education for Iranian children all over the world. Executive Director of Persia Educational Foundation, Tahirih Danesh, who is also a Senior Research Associate at The Foreign Policy Centre spoke to Researching Reform ahead of the launch:

“The education of girls, as future decision makers at home, workplace and the society at large has a direct impact on the survival of the entire human race. The character, civic and academic education of a girl child only helps to improve life for all around her regardless of gender, race, religion or economic stance.”

Wasted Youth

The report, which is called “Wasted Youth: Children’s Rights in Iran”, identifies a number of areas in which Iran is failing to live up to its obligations to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. These include guaranteeing the rights of children to health, education, and protection from violence.

The findings will be unveiled by Small Media Foundation’s Research Manager, James Marchant, and a panel discussion will follow about the main child rights challenges in Iran today.

The Panel features renowned and highly regarded child rights experts:

Zarin Hainsworth OBE, an internationally recognised expert and an advocate for the rights of women and girls. She is well known for her work throughout the MENA region as well as her strong role in advocacy and policy advice within the UK, EU and the UN mechanisms.
Diana Nammi, author, Founder and Executive Director of IKWRO. She is an internationally known figure involved in defence of the rights of minorities, in particular women and girls.
Nazee Akbari, an established therapist, an academic and the Executive Director of Barnet Refugee Services. She travels to Iran often and works with children and young people.
Caoilfhionn Gallagher, a public law specialist at Doughty Street Chambers with particular expertise in children’s rights and human rights related judicial review. She is recognised as a Leading Junior in Public Law, Human Rights and Civil Liberties by the Legal 500 and Chambers and Partners.

PEF

The event, which is being held at University College London at 6pm, will also see the launch of Persia Educational Foundation’s Wristband Campaign in support of its Mirzakhani scholarship fund, which offers Farsi speaking women the chance to enrol at a number of top universities to study a STEM subject. The campaign invites citizens around the globe to support children’s right to education.

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There has been an overwhelming response to attend this launch which is now fully booked, so in order to make sure those unable to attend can be a part of the evening, the organisations involved have very kindly set up live feeds for the night. You can watch the launch over on Facebook at:

facebook.com/Persia.Education and facebook.com/SmallMedia

Researching Reform is very lucky to have been given the opportunity to attend this launch, so we will also be sharing the evening with you on Twitter. You can catch our tweets, photos and live videos over @SobukiRa. Don’t forget to use the hashtags: #DayOfTheGirl #SDG4 #SmallMedia #PersiaEducationalFoundation #WastedYouth, if you’re going to be on Twitter too.

For event and media inquiries please email: info@persia.education

For report inquiries please contact: james@smallmedia.org.uk

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Conference: Protecting Children from Unnecessary Genital Surgeries

26 Tuesday Jul 2016

Posted by Natasha in Circumcision, FGM, Human Rights

≈ 2 Comments

Charity Genital Autonomy is holding its next symposium at Keele University on 14-16 September, and everyone is welcome to attend.

Genital Autonomy is also a concept, sometimes defined as the freedom and moral independence of every human being to choose what to do with his or her sexual organs. This right can be removed from children for religious or perceived hygiene reasons, despite growing evidence showing that non-medical genital surgery is incredibly painful for children and does not protect against disease. Practices which are often discussed when looking at Genital Autonomy include Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), and circumcision.

The charity’s aim is to promote, preserve and protect the health and well-being of male, female and intersex children by protecting them from unnecessary genital surgery or modification; and to promote the human rights of children in relation to genital surgery or modification as set out in the UN Convention on the Rights Of the Child throughout the world.

The symposium’s speakers are leaders in their fields and should make for a very interesting and progressive conference in an area where little research still exists. The conference itself aims to expand on new developments and take issues surrounding genital autonomy forward.

The agenda for the conference will include thought-provoking debates such as, “Cultural v. cosmetic surgery: Challenging the Distinction,” which has been put forward by Clare Chambers, who is University Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the University of Cambridge. The Abstract for her topic of discussion is added below:

“There is a general consensus in liberal theory, practice, and law that female genital mutilation (FGM) is a violation of rights and justice that should be banned. However, there is no such consensus about male circumcision or cosmetic surgery, including cosmetic genital surgery. These practices are legal in most liberal states and there is no general critique of them in mainstream liberal theory. This talk will consider and challenge the philosophical reasons in favour of distinguishing FGM from male circumcision and labiaplasty. There is no clear distinction between “cultural” genital surgery and “cosmetic” genital surgery, so that male circumcision and cosmetic surgery should be regulated in the same way as FGM.”

If you’d like to attend the symposium, you can book your tickets here.

Researching Reform is a passionate advocate of changing the culture surrounding FGM and circumcision. We wish the charity a successful few days.

Government Publishes Statement Opposing Female Genital Mutilation

07 Wednesday Oct 2015

Posted by Natasha in FGM

≈ 3 Comments

This just in:

The government has published a statement opposing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) this morning, which is sometimes called a Health Passport because it contains information about a particular condition or procedure. This information can be used to advise hospitals and other organisations on how you wish to be communicated with and supported.

The statement, or passport, can be taken abroad to explain the legal status of FGM in the UK. It explains what FGM is, the criminal status of FGM and penalties involved, as well as help and support available.

You can access the Statement here.

Conference: Genital Autonomy – It’s a Personal Choice

16 Monday Feb 2015

Posted by Natasha in Children, Circumcision, FGM, IGM, MGM

≈ 3 Comments

It’s no secret that at Researching Reform we would like to see the end of male and female genital mutilation for non therapeutic purposes, so it’s with pleasure that we share a conference taking place in May which seeks to highlight the myths and double standards surrounding circumcision.

The conference is being hosted by advocacy organisation Genital Autonomy, which works to end the use of non-therapeutic genital surgery on children whether male, female or intersex. Their work is rooted in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and supports the Helsinki Declaration 2012, which seeks to establish the Right of Genital Autonomy as a fundamental right. That right defines every human being’s entitlement to personal control of their own genital and reproductive organs.

Set to take place from 6th-9th may this year, the conference, which will be held in Frankfurt, will look at the culture, myths and rights surrounding genital cutting and will include speakers from legal and medical backgrounds as well as ethics and human rights councils.

We would like to thank the Chief Officer of Genital Autonomy David Smith for alerting us to this conference.