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Female Genital Mutilation and Forced Marriage

Asked by Sarah OwenLabourHome OfficeTabled Answered 25 June 2026UIN 11738

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what progress his Department has made on the feasibility study into estimating the prevalence of forced marriage and FGM.

Answered by Natalie Fleet

In 2023, the Home Office commissioned the University of Birmingham to conduct a study on the feasibility of producing a prevalence estimate of forced marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM).

Building on this, “Freedom from Violence and Abuse: a cross-government strategy to build a safer society for women and girls”, published in December 2025, committed to conducting an additional study to explore the viability of the University’s recommended approach to producing a national prevalence estimate. The additional study concluded in March 2026

The Government is currently reviewing the findings of both studies and considering next steps.

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