The Three Planet Problem of Protecting Girls and Women from Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting in the UK

In the last two decades, the issue of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) has become subject to considerable public and policy attention. Across Europe, with the rise of right-wing populism, revival of assimilationist policies and fears over Islamic extremism, FGM/C and other gendered cultural practices have been located at the heart of heated debates over migration, multiculturalism and social cohesion. In addition to exemplifying a moral panic in its own right, representations about FGM/C have also played a part in maintaining the moral panic over forced migration, which frames refugees as a threat to the British nation, economy, values and identity. This article first traces the making of these two moral panics, before attending to their consequences. In drawing from qualitative research with FGM/C-affected women and key informants in Scotland, I analyse how these colliding moral panics give rise to fragmentated professional approaches in multi-agency safeguarding, perpetuating further harm to FGM/C-affected women.