10 Mojatu in Parliament
mojatu .com
Why focus on mental health service provision and legal
protection of those at risk?- by Valentine Nkoyo
Following our work and support for FGM
survivors and affected communities in
Nottingham and beyond, we have continued
to come across the complex issues affecting
survivors. Even though each survivor’s story is
different and are affected differently, there are
key issues that continue to be reported. Key
issues include, difficulty accessing appropriate
services that respond to their specific needs,
fear for the safety of their children, stress/
depression and other forms of mental health
issues and access to further studies or training
opportunities among others.
Following one to one meetings and discussions with
survivors and members of the Community FGM
Steering Group, two key issues were chosen to be
addressed today- mental health service provision and
legal protection for girls and women at risk.
I will now share some of the accounts shared by
survivors and their concerns. No real names will be
used to protect the identity of the survivors.
Survivor A. “I was cut at the age of 9, this is the worst
thing that could ever happen to a child like me and I still
remember everything that happened that morning.
After healing, part of me thought that was the end of it.
When I became pregnant, that was the start of a painful
journey. I did not know where to go for help. When I
was taken in to deliver, I was in pain for more than three
days and nights as the baby could not come out easily
and the nurses did not know much on how to deal with
the issue. This led to other complications with back
pain and stomach pains that I still experience.
Survivor B. “As a survivor myself, I do understand fully
how survivors are affected both physically, emotionally
and psychologically……think of the painful memories
of what happened. This is the fear of any mother with
female children wanting to protect them. If the trauma
is not handled well and appropriate support offered,
this leads to serious mental illness. Based on my own
experience, I believe survivors need adequate and
culturally sensitive support, reassurance, motivation
and encouragement to overcome the traumatic impact
of FGM. I believe this will go a long way to reassure us
as survivors and give us the confidence to think of the
brighter side of life”
Survivor C. “As a survivor, I believe every child
matters and it is everybody’s responsibility to protect
them from FGM. Legal protection should be given to
children and women at risk irrespective of their colour,
believe, background or immigration status. I do not
understand why people say they fear to offend another
culture- FGM is a form of child abuse and is a serious
safeguarding issue. Our children should be protected”.
Survivor D. “I worry every day about my daughter,
sometimes I feel so hopeless and lost. I may protect my
daughter myself, but I don’t know what could happen
to her if we ever get send back home as this could still
be done to her. I have done everything I could to prove
I am a survivor and that my daughters are at risk. But,
every time I find a letter at home, I fear for the worst
that it could be telling me it’s time to go back to my
country of origin. The stress that this brings to me is too
much to cope with”
Survivor E. “The problem is, we still find it hard
to talk about FGM even with our men and family
members as it is seen as a taboo. Many of us suffer
in silence because of the stigma and also lack of
understanding from those we think could help. I
have had bad experiences accessing services where
I was asked questions in a very insensitive way…
…“why did you do this to yourself”. This made me
very upset and I felt I was being judged even before
any support was offered. I hated going back to
access the same services for a long time as it made
me feel angry that someone supposed to support
me would think I did this to myself. Knowing
what I know now, I must insist on how important
it is for professionals working with FGM survivors
to be culturally competent and have a strong
understanding of FGM and the way that various
identities can affect how women understand and
relate to their experiences of FGM”
Following the Tackling FGM Initiative (TFGMI): 2010-
2016 funded by Rosa, the UK Fund for Women and
Girls; the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation; Trust for London;
Comic Relief; and Kering Corporate Foundation, a final
report was compiled.
The report gave a detailed analysis of tackling FGM
by working closely with survivors and affected
communities. The report also acknowledges the
complex mental health needs of survivors and provides
best practice for mental health service providers.
Mojatu Foundation is a member of the Tackling FGM
Initiative.