BBC London exposes serious healthcare issues felt by survivors of FGM/C in interview with The Vavengers
Last night, BBC London reported on Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting and The Vavengers’ campaign to reduce healthcare inequalities felt by survivors.
Interviewing our Campaign Ambassador & FGM/C Specialist Midwife Huda Mohamed MBE, our Co-Founder Hoda Ali and our CEO Sema Gornall at Whittington Health NHS Trust’s FGM/C Clinic, the BBC exposed the serious healthcare issues faced by survivors of FGM/C in the UK.
With 40% of new cases in England and Wales being reported in London, the coverage highlighted the need for continued investment into specialist services, early intervention and education for teachers, parents and pupils in schools.
As a specialist midwife, Huda Mohamed echoed our asks, stressing the need for early intervention to prevent FGMC: “Statistics show that children are [most often] cut from the ages eight to nine… I want training to be done in early childhood education.” Huda hopes that by educating children on their bodily rights, we can increase their agency and better safeguard them from FGM/C.
Hoda, speaking on her health after being subjected to FGM/C said: “FGM/C has affected me my whole life, it has taken away my chance to be a mother, no one has the right to take that right from me.”
The coverage also emphasised our calls for better support for survivors. Speaking on our One Question Campaign, our CEO Sema Gornall said:
“We have three simple asks, ask every single woman in this country if they have been subjected to FGM/C so we can see the actual numbers, the second ask is to bring the reconstructive surgery to the UK and the last ask of the campaign is the lifetime of the mental health support that the survivors of FGM/C need.”
Visit our campaign page to learn more about how we are working to improve health outcomes for survivors of FGM/C.
Credit: BBC London News