Family and reproductive rights education program

What is FARREP?

The Family and Reproductive Rights Education Program (FARREP) is a Victorian government initiative launched in 1998 to work towards the prevention of female genital cutting (FGC) or ‘circumcision’.

FGC refers to all procedures that intentionally alter or cause injury to female genital organs for non-medical reasons, including partial or total removal of the external female genitalia.

It is estimated that more than 200 million girls and women alive today have been impacted by FGC in 30 countries in Africa, Asia and Middle East, where FGC practice is concentrated.

What does the program offer?

FARREP provides a free and confidential service to Victorian community members that migrated from countries where FGC has been known to be traditionally practiced.

The team can also provide cultural guidance and secondary support to cohealth practitioners and external health professionals in relation to women and girls with FGC and their families.

The FARREP team: 

• support and advocate for girls and women affected by FGC to get the best care and information about their health
• refer women to other services they might need in cohealth or the wider community
• work with communities and their families to provide information about FGC and the law in Australia for the prevention of FGC, on related sexual and reproductive health and women’s health issues.
• provide community wide education about all aspects of the FGC practice and build the capacity of the communities to facilitate a supportive community environment that strengthen the protective factors within the community.
• refer communities to appropriate health and social related services.
• build collaboration and partnership with health practitioners with the aim to improve health and wellbeing of the communities affected by FGC

The FARREP team are experienced and trained community development workers, who speak one or more languages of FGC affected communities.

Find out more

For more information on some of the work being done or to learn more about how FARREP can support you, get in touch with the FARREP team.

Phone: 9448 6389

Email: FARREP@cohealth.org.au.