On May 31, 2022, the Health Professions (Protecting Women and Girls) Amendment Act (formerly Bill 10) received Royal Assent. The Act amended the Health Professions Act by:
- Adding prohibitions to female genital mutilation when performed by health professionals regulated under the Health Professions Act,
- Prohibiting individuals convicted of a criminal offence related to the procurement or performance of female genital mutilation in another jurisdiction from registration in Alberta,
- Establishing mandatory reporting requirements related to female genital mutilation for registrants and employers, and
- Requiring that health professions regulators established under the Health Professions Act develop standards of practice regarding female genital mutilation.
The Health Professions (Protecting Women and Girls) Amendment Act requires that Colleges develop Standards of Practice regarding female genital mutilation and adopt these standards within 12 months of the coming into force of the legislative amendments.
As a result, the College has added requirements regarding female genital mutilation to the Client Assessment, Diagnosis, Interventions Standard of Practice.
This Standard of Practice and the performance expectations come into force May 31, 2023.
