I was too afraid to go to hospital when I was in labour. This is why maternity staff need better FGM training
Thousands of women living in the UK today are survivors of FGM, and many carry the same fears into pregnancy and childbirth, writes campaigner Hibo Wardere
As a mother of seven children and a survivor of female genital mutilation (FGM), I can tell you from experience that improved maternity services are desperately needed to keep women and newborns safe during pregnancy and childbirth.
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When I first fell pregnant, I was too frightened of what medical staff might think of my body to attend health appointments. I was almost halfway through my pregnancy when I finally went for a scan. I had managed to avoid all examinations and, when I went into labour, the fear of medical staff looking between my legs meant I locked myself in the bathroom rather than go to hospital, trying to hide the pain.
By midnight, my husband insisted we go to hospital. My fear, my scars, and the prospect turned reality of needing to be cut and then stitched up again made the birth traumatic as well as unsafe for both my baby and me. Women with FGM often fear being physically examined. We fear judgment, we fear more procedures, and we fear being misunderstood.
What I experienced is not unique. Thousands of women living in the UK today are survivors of FGM, and many carry the same fears into pregnancy and childbirth.
Women with FGM are often from communities already experiencing poorer maternity outcomes. To ensure all women have not just safer births but equally safe births, we have to equip frontline professionals with the knowledge and confidence to support them.
We know this is possible. We have already seen some NHS Trusts embed our training into safeguarding programmes, helping frontline staff better understand the needs of women living with FGM.
No woman should delay seeking care, avoid appointments or fear giving birth because she is worried about how healthcare professionals will react to her body. By investing in training, we can help ensure that more women experience pregnancy and birth not with fear, but with dignity, safety and trust.
I hope that, as the national conversation about maternity safety continues, we do not overlook women affected by FGM.
That's why, as part of Big Give's Small Charity Week, Educate Not Mutilate is raising funds to train more doctors, nurses and midwives across the UK, ensuring more women receive the safe and compassionate care they deserve.
Small Charity Week, which runs till next Monday, celebrates the vital role small charities and community organisations play in supporting people and strengthening communities across the UK. Through its annual match-funding campaign, any public donations are doubled, helping participating charities, including Educate Not Mutilate, maximise their impact and reach more people in need.
As the UK's leading match-funding charity, Big Give brings together philanthropists, foundations, businesses and the public to amplify charitable giving. Since its launch, Big Give has helped raise more than £440 million for thousands of charitable projects, demonstrating the power of match funding to multiply generosity and drive meaningful change.
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To support Educate Not Mutilate's campaign and have your donation doubled, visit donate.biggive.org/small-charity-week-2026.
Hibo Wardere is Education Lead at Educate Not Mutilate, author and a tireless campaigner against FGM.
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