What is female genital mutilation and what is it doing in education?

This article aims to provide some background knowledge on the procedure that is known as female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C), and sometimes referred to as female circumcision. This practice has been illegal in the UK since 1985 and is now deemed a form of child abuse. Nevertheless, there exist opposing standpoints within some FGM-affected communities where the practice is a social norm and is deeply rooted in their culture. This opposition creates a gap and the need for a research that listens to FGM-affected communities’ opinions and the motivations that lie behind the continuation of this practice. I am from an FGM-affected community and I am conducting research that examines perspectives on FGM among affected communities in the UK. My purpose in writing this article is, first and foremost, to explain what FGM is and then focus on the impact that education can have on the eradication of FGM. Instead of asking what is FGM doing in a periodical for research in teacher education, maybe I should ask what is education doing about FGM?