FGM and New Zealand Law

Female genital mutilation is illegal in New Zealand under the New Zealand Crimes Act Amendment 1996, ss 204A and 204B. It is illegal to perform FGM on a child in New Zealand or to send a child overseas to have FGM performed. The antenatal and postnatal care and support of a woman affected by FGM provides an opportunity to ensure women and their families are aware that FGM is illegal in New Zealand. If FGM is considered to be imminent contact the FGM Education Programme and NZ CYFS who will follow the FGM Child Protection Recommended Guiding Principles (New Zealand FGM Education Programme, 2009d).

For more details see the FGM Child Protection Recommended Guiding Principles (New Zealand FGM Education Programme, 2009d).

It is also illegal in New Zealand for medical professionals to reinfibulate (re-stitch the remaining labia) a woman’s genital scar tissue following deinfibulation either in pregnancy or labour. For more details, see the FGM Clinical Care Antenatal, Labour & Birth and Postnatal Guidelines (New Zealand FGM Education Programme, 2009a) accessible at www.fgm.co.nz.

For further information, refer to the Ministry of Health funded FGM Education Programmme for Health professionals: http://fgm.co.nz/nz-fgm-program.

The following FGM Information and resources for health professionals are available at: http://fgm.co.nz/resources.