63. Fighting Female Genital Mutilation │ Hibo Wardere

Hibo Wardere is a Somali-born author, activist, and female genital mutilation survivor based in the UK. At the age of six, Hibo was bullied on the playground for not being ‘cut.’ Desperately wanting to fit in, she asked her mother to give her the cut the other girls had. She never imagined the horror she would then be subjected to as she describes "it was like being butchered alive." For survivors of FGM, the humiliation doesn’t end with the cutting; its consequences are lifelong with side effects such as infertility, kidney problems, keloids, painful menstruation and sex, and even maternal death.

In this episode we explore the motivations for mothers to repeat the violence they endured as girls, perpetuating a 3000-year old woman-hating practice across cultures and religions, the psychological ramifications for survivors, and what women need to heal. Hibo calls for women everywhere to unite in struggle as the strength of our shared experience is one of the most powerful forces in the world.

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