FGM
full
Read her
e
story her
Horn of Africa where FGM is widely practised,
but there are also known cases from other
communities, including Turkey, Afghanistan
and Malaysia, where similar procedures
are also sometimes carried out.
The council forms part of the Ealing
Children’s Integrated Response Service
(ECIRS), a partnership of social workers,
police, health professionals and
other organisations.
This can offer advice to
people with concerns
about FGM.
ECIRS was set up
as a single point of
contact to make it
easier for children, and
families, to get the
help they need if there
is concern over the
welfare of a child.
Other independent
groups, such as the
African Well Woman
Clinic, also offer
support.
happen, why they happen and what parts of
the body they affect.”
She started to think about other young girls
who may be facing, or may have already gone
through, FGM: “I started to wonder ‘how will
they know it’s not natural and can cause them
harm if they are not exposed to the truths?’
“For families living in the UK, outside of
their ancestral homelands, continuing with the
practise of FGM can
be a way for them to
keep a strong link to
their traditions, while
supposedly helping
young girls stay pure,
not have sexual
thoughts as they go
through puberty, not
experiment sexually
before marriage
and be ‘clean’ for
their husbands after
marriage.
“But there are very
serious health
implications to
anyone who has been
through an FGM
procedure.“
SAGAL’S STORY
Local woman Sagal*
told Around Ealing of
her own experience of
GETTING THE
FGM and how it has
RIGHT HELP
If you need more information yourself, or
changed the course of
Sagal believes that
if anyone you know has been affected by
her life.
it is all about getting
FGM, contact:
She said: “We
the message out there
■ Acton African Well Woman Clinic on
moved to the borough
to raise awareness,
020 8383 8761 or 07956 001065
when I was five. I was
but delivering it in a
■ Ealing Children’s Integrated Response
never aware that I was
way that reaches out
Service (ECIRS) on 020 8825 8000, option 2.
different in any way. I
to people rather than
didn’t have any scary
attacking them.
memories of what happened to me, but I
She said: “Telling communities like mine that
guess I was one of the lucky ones.
what they do is barbaric, cruel, abusive is not
“The first I knew that my genitals were
helpful. In fact it closes doors and puts more
not as they should be was in the final stages
people at risk of staying uninformed about how
of labour. Imagine that? I got whisked into
they can be helped to protect themselves.
surgery to avoid any further damage to my
“There is a little girl sitting at home who’s had
body or harm to my baby. I was in shock.
this done – who might need help to understand,
“As soon as I could, I found out as much as
or have questions that need answering – and I
I could about the procedures, where they can
want her to know there’s help out there.”
Help is available
around ealing
Summer 2015
25