An article by Michela Bocci (Y13)
On the 20th of March 2025, we welcomed to our school Fatou Baldeh, who came to discuss the pressing issue of Female Genital Mutilation, also known as FGM. Originally from the Gambia, Fatou is an FGM survivor and activist. We invited Ms Baldeh in the context of our CAS project to spread awareness about FGM and sensitise people to help the cause of ending Female Genital Mutilation.
Our CAS project leader, Leah Daniels, was inspired by the book “The Desert Flower” by Warris Dirie, another FGM survivor, and enthused us to participate in this project, which is of the utmost importance in the women’s rights, human rights, and global health context.
Female Genital Mutilation is any procedure involving the total or partial removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons. This practice has no medical benefits for girls and carries serious short-term health risks, including severe pain, infection, excessive bleeding, and sometimes even death. It can also result in long-term consequences such as menstrual, urinary, and sexual problems and increased risk of childbirth complications. Additionally, the psychological aspects of this traumatic procedure, for instance, stress, depression, low self-esteem, and the feeling of humiliation and betrayal, should not be underestimated.
The procedure of FGM is nearly always carried out on minors, on girls from the age of 1 week to 15 years old. It is a clear violation of children’s rights. FGM also violates a person’s right to security, health, and physical integrity, as well as the right to be free of torture and cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
There are different types of FGM, ranging from partial to total removal of external female genitalia, including the removal of the clitoral glans, the labia minora, the labia majora, and sometimes even the stitching of the outer folds of the vulva.
The practice is predominantly carried out in 31 countries in Eastern, Western, and North-Western Africa, but also some countries in the Middle East and Asia. According to the WHO, as of today, over 230 million girls and women have endured and survived this degrading procedure.
Female Genital Mutilation is a social norm in many areas, with girls being subjected to it to be accepted in society. Moreover, in those communities, women who are not cut are considered “dirty” and unfit to marry. It is regarded as a necessary part of raising a girl, a way to prepare her for adulthood and marriage. It is believed that women are not allowed to feel sexual pleasure, which is a privilege reserved for men, and cutting off the clitoris ensures that. It also enables control over a girl’s body and her sexuality to promote premarital virginity and marital fidelity.
Fatou Baldeh is an FGM survivor and activist born and raised in the Gambia. She was subjected to the procedure at the age of 8. She was educated in the UK and holds a BSc in Health and Psychology and an MSc in Sexual and Reproductive Health. After living in the UK for 16 years, in 2018, Fatou returned to the Gambia and founded the Women in Liberation & Leadership (WILL) organisation.
Fatou conducts workshops and seminars to encourage dialogue and awareness about FGM, works with survivors to understand their trauma, and helps young girls avoid undergoing genital mutilation. Fatou and her organisation battle FGM on many fronts: by enlightening the general public about the severe impacts on female reproductive health, by empowering young girls and promoting education as an alternative to being cut and forced into marriage, and by finding new jobs for women who are involved in practicing FGM.
It was a privilege to have Fatou Baldeh come and share her experience and knowledge about this important topic. Her talk gave excellent insight into what FGM consists of, the importance of preading awareness, and the substantial impact education has on empowering young girls and omen around the world. Following the speech, Fatou gave an interview diving deeper into her ersonal experiences with FGM throughout her life, which can be found on the school’s website.
We can all contribute to ending this traumatic practice by spreading awareness about it
within our communities.
To find out more about this topic and how to help, check out Fatou Baldeh’s organisation,
Women in Liberation & Leadership! https://www.womeninliberation.org/