ONE in 20 women living in a south London borough were estimated to have been subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM), shocking stats revealed today.

Figures collected by City University London and the human rights organisation Equality Now have shown how almost 5 per cent of women in Southwark have suffered under the procedure.

Estimates came from calculating the number of women in Britain who were born in countries where FGM is practiced, how common the practice is in those countries and where the victims live now.

Equality Now FGM programme manager Mary Wandia said: “We hope that policy makers at all levels — including in local authorities — urgently respond to these new estimates.

“This means stepping up work to prevent it, protecting girls at risk, providing support to survivors, pursuing prosecutions when necessary and continuing to develop relevant partnerships to ensure that all work to end this human rights violation is ‘joined up’ and effective at every level.”

In Southwark alone, more than one in 10 of girls were born to mutilated mothers.

Numbers were highest in London and other urban areas, with almost 4 per cent of female residents in west London’s Brent being FGM victims while the national average is 0.5 per cent.

According to previous research, an estimated 137,000 women and girls affected by FGM were living across England and Wales.

A further 20,000 girls under the age of 15 were considered to be at risk each year.

City University professor and report author Alison Macfarlane said: “Support is needed for these women during pregnancy and childbirth and may also be needed for older women, because of long-term complications of FGM.

“It is important not to stigmatise women who have undergone FGM, or assume that their daughters are all at risk, as many families have given up FGM on migration and attitudes have changed in some of their countries of origin.

“On the other hand, others may have not given up FGM and it is important to safeguard their daughters.”