The Health and Social Care Information Centre says a report of FGM is made every 109 minutes, with 2,421 reports lodged between April and September, last year.
Ann-Marie Wilson, a Christian and the executive director of anti-FGM charity 28 Too Many says the actual number of incidents is probably far higher.
What is female genital mutilation?*
- Sometimes referred to as female circumcision
- The intentional alteration or harm of the female genital organs for non-medical reasons
- FGM is illegal in the UK
- An estimated 137,000 women in the UK are affected by FGM, though the true extent is unknown
*NHS website
Speaking on Premier Christian Radio's News Hour, Ann-Marie Wilson explained FGM's origins: "It's pre-Islam [and] pre-Christian. It's a cultural practise that's happened [since] probably 2,000 years ago.
"It's practised by many African and Muslim societies but also some Christian societies, particularly in Tanzania for instance.
"It does affect everyone. It affects every country that accepts migrants and asylum seekers who will bring their practises with them."
She also said a move by the Government to force health and social care professionals and teachers to report cases of child FGM is one example of progress made to combat the practise.
Anne-Marie Wilson added that greater awareness is one of the first steps to tackling FGM and called on everyone, from church youth workers to neighbours, to better understand the issue: "It's not something that just happens [abroad]. It happens here in the UK, so we all need to be better educated to know about it."
A Government spokesperson said: "Female genital mutilation is a terrible crime that can destroy lives and cause extreme and lifelong physical and psychological suffering to women and girls.
"This Government is committed to ending this abusive and illegal practice in the UK.
"We have taken bold action to ensure that awareness of FGM is greater now than ever before, and have strengthened the law significantly to better protect victims and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice."