female genital mutilation

Reporting on progress towards equality of opportunity for women and men made by public authorities in Scotland - Ministerial priorities for gender equality. Tackling violence against women: a review of key evidence and national policies

The current Gender Equality Duty requires Scottish Ministers to set out priority areas that they have identified across the functions and activities relevant to Scottish public authorities and then provide an overview of progress in these priority areas by 1 July 2010. Scottish Ministers agreed two priority areas, namely: tackling violence against women and occupational segregation. This paper presents the main findings of a review of key evidence and national policies relating to tackling violence against women.

Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation (Scotland) Act 2005

Female genital mutilation (FGM) involves procedures which include the partial or total removal of the external female genital organs for cultural or other non-therapeutic reasons. FGM has been a specific criminal offence in the UK since the passage of the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, the Female Genital Mutilation Act 2003 repealed and re-enacted the provisions of the 1985 Act, gave them extra-territorial effect and increased the maximum penalty for FGM.