Doctors, nurses and teachers are still nervous of being branded racist if they speak to families about female genital mutilation, a leading researcher said.
Professor Hazel Barrett, an expert in FGM, has developed an app to give professionals the confidence to flag up their concerns if they think a girl is at risk of being cut. She said that despite campaigns, many professionals are still unaware of their legal responsibilities, nervous about how to broach the issue, and concerned about being called racist and rejected by communities they work with.
Professor Barrett, professor of development geography at Coventry University, said: “If they live within these communities or come from these communities they fear they might be stigmatised or rejected. She said: “We have made progress, certainly over the last three or four years, with more awareness training given to professionals. But there is still a long way to go.”
