I survived FGM - silence is the biggest barrier to progress

As the world faces dark times, we need creatives to keep innovating, telling the unheard stories, and pushing for change. Nowhere is this more evident than in the movement to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) worldwide, where silence has been a barrier to progress.

I personally had no idea that FGM was illegal in the UK until I had my daughter - in fact, it has been illegal since 1985. This silence on the topic ended when a group of other FGM survivors and I told our stories in the Channel 4 documentary The Cruel Cut. This one 30-minute documentary changed the entire landscape for FGM survivors in the UK and worldwide – activating policy change, sparking community dialogue and increasing funding.

The Kenyan film Sarah offers another opportunity to propel the FGM abandonment movement forward. Sarah tells the story of a Maasai girl navigating love, education and FGM in her teenage years. I recognised my own story within it; the mother-daughter dynamic especially.

In a patriarchal system, mothers are often forced to become the agents of their daughters' trauma. As a psychotherapist working with survivors, I have seen this conflict as a constant challenge: the task of reconciling a mother and daughter after she organised this horrific act.

Kenya is leading the way in FGM abandonment globally through creative and innovative projects, but the need for funding remains critical. New data from the University of Birmingham reveals the urgency: FGM is the fourth biggest killer of African girls. This crisis must be reframed as an act of violence and sexual assault, and survivors must receive trauma-informed healing and support. Prevention work is essential, as is healing for the women who are now raising them.

Today I want to make this call to action: please support the charity S.A.F.E. Kenya as they raise funds through Big Give's women and girls match fund to take the film Sarah to hard-to-reach communities in Kenya where an estimated 74 per cent of girls are still undergoing FGM. This film is already breaking down stigma and silence. Your support will help protect the next generation of girls.

____________________

Dr Leyla Hussein is Global Advocacy Director at The Girl Generation.

To support S.A.F.E. Kenya and have your money doubled by Big Give, please visit www.biggive.org before midday on October 15th.

LBC Opinion provides a platform for diverse opinions on current affairs and matters of public interest.

The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official LBC position.

To contact us email opinion@lbc.co.uk