Melbourne conference on FGM looks at ways of helping victims

Health workers and researchers from around the world have met in Melbourne to discuss ways of helping women in Australia who have been affected by Female Genital Mutilation.The surgery is practised in dozens of countries around the world. But there is an increasing need for health services in Australia as more women from the affected countries immigrate. ... reports.

A school in Kenya with girls who ran away to escape FGM Source: AAP

Female Genital Mutilation, also known as FGM, involves the partial or full removal of the external female genitalia, done for cultural reasons.

A highly painful practice, it causes ongoing trauma and a range of health issues for the women affected.

Practised in some African and Middle East communities and parts of Asia, the United Nations Population Fund estimates 200 million women worldwide are affected.