Teaching about Forced Marriage and Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is an important part of a school’s approach to safeguarding and child protection.

We’ve worked with Freedom Charity to produce two lesson packs, covering Forced Marriage and FGM respectively.

The packs will support you to teach safe and effective lessons to key stages 3 and 4 in a sensitive and age-appropriate way. They will also help you to cover related statutory requirements for these topics. 

Forced marriage lesson plan
It is important for students to understand that they have the right to choose a partner and that there are different types of committed relationships. The lesson plan and accompanying resources will help you to:

• explain what is meant by ‘forced marriage’
• identify the consequences of forced marriage and highlight the law on forced marriage
• analyse how safely to access support for themselves or others who may be at risk, or have already been subject to a forced marriage

FGM lesson plan
Female Genital Mutilation is a form of abuse with wide global reach, including in the UK. The topic will be particularly sensitive and personal for some students and must be approached with the greatest care. The lesson plan and accompanying resources will help you to:

• explain what is meant by FGM and list the different types of FGM
• explore the facts and challenge myths in relation to FGM and highlight the law in relation to FGM
• help students to analyse how safely to access support for themselves or others who may be at risk, or have been subject to FGM

Freedom Charity also provides two novels — 'But It’s Not Fair' and 'Cut Flowers'  —written by founder, Aneeta Prem, which address these issues in story form and can be used in conjunction with the lessons.