Anyone watching the cruel cut?

[Fairydust1986]

Huge admiration for Leyla Hussein

[BrightShinySun]

I know it is late but I am also sad that there is so few people discussing this on here. I wonder if it is because, like me, despite the utter rage I feel about this subject I feel so utterly helpless? Leyla is truly inspiring, what a fantastic program. I haven't seen something that has made me want to 'do something' for a long time.

MrsD you are completely right. It does seem a good starting point would be to begin to educate men about this issue. Perhaps if they could truly understand and speak out about their horror then this might have some kind of effect on women who feel that this is necessary in order for their daughters to find good husbands. It might never be possible to break the belief that women need a husband but maybe if we could just start by getting them to see that FGM does NOT need to take place in order to find one.

[YoureBeingASillyBilly]

signed and shared on fb.

[BewitchedBotheredandBewildered]

How can anyone hear the words Female Genital Mutilation and not have a pretty good idea that the procedure must be gruesome, barbaric and totally unacceptable? Even if they don't know exactly what happens.
It made me feel sick and made me cry, I can't believe people signed her petition in favour. WTAF!
Massive admiration for Leyla Hussein and her team, brave, courageous women, exposing their vulnerability like that, makes me cry again thinking about it.
It makes any difficulty I've ever had to deal with pale into infinitesimal insignificance.

As for Theresa May, shame on her, utterly pathetic.

I'm going to give serious thought to how I can help this campaign.

In the meantime MNHQ grind your gears and get behind this.

[funkybuddah]

I was all set to go to bed after goggle box as I knew about fgm and what it involved. However I didn't and for the 1st time I saw what actually happens and heard those awful screams. I don't cry at tv but I was howling at this and again just now when I checked on my 6yr old dd.

a brilliantly made documentary and I hope it raises the awareness needed.

I'm in bed now devastated at the though of little girls or there who have been cut today/this week and how alone they must feel when their mothers consented to this being done, the person who should protect you above all else.

The young mens reaction was good and sadly I think the only way to stop this is to get to the community members of that age.

[OvaryAction]

Bewitched She's a co founder of daughters of eve, I expect you could volunteer your time to raise funds for them.

[puffylovett]

I turned over just in time to fave the graphic cutting of the plasticine. I've always thought it barbaric, but that just slammed it home. Brilliant.
Petition signed and shared.

[MNPlovespumpkincarving]

I heard her on Radio 2 with Jeremy Vine in September but missed the programme tonight. Have signed the petition.

[OvaryAction]

it'll be on 4OD MNP

[Ginformation]

I have reported to HQ to see if they can raise awareness, maybe sticky link to the petition.

It was a brilliant prog, utterly compelling.

[BewitchedBotheredandBewildered]

Thank you for that Ovary, had a quick look and they seem to be mainly focused on supporting victims.
I would be more interested in stopping it happening in the first place.

[MNPlovespumpkincarving]

Yes, it says it will be added soon and is also being reshown on Mon Nov 11 @ 01:05

[OvaryAction]

Bewitched where abouts in the uk are you?

I know there's a few smaller organisations in bristol and london. If you're wanting to campaign against fgm worldwide there's a few charities like the orchid project, the desert flower foundation and 28toomany.

If you're wanting to help stop it in the uk, I would suggest contacting your local MP to put pressure on the government to do something, and awareness raising, trying to make others contact their MPs too.

[MummyPigsFatTummy]

Just watched it. Very powerful. The great thing was the reaction of the young men. There is no doubt that getting through to men is a massive part of getting it stopped. They clearly had no clue what was involved and the great thing is that hopefully none of their daughters will now suffer.

I have signed the petition but would love to be able to do something more positive to help but other than donating, which I will do, I can't think really what. Feel very powerless really. It is horrible to think about the girls going through this every day round the world.

[BewitchedBotheredandBewildered]

I'm in Brighton.
Are you involved in this already Ovary?
Contacting MP? Of course, but that route to anything tends to be, let's say measured. At this precise moment I'd favour something more radical.

I have messaged MNHQ as well Gin, it would be the perfect cause for mumsnet.

That sounds flippant, I don't mean it to.

They have 4.5000,000 members.

Would a single one think this "cultural practice" should continue?

It could be the first time that every. single. one. of us agrees about something

[BewitchedBotheredandBewildered]

Just after the programme there were 5,000 odd signatures to the petition.

Now it's 12,000 +

[BewitchedBotheredandBewildered]

Sorry, I think I put 45 million members (they wish!) when it should have been four and a half million.

[Scarletohello]

MN has 4.5000,000 members.

Would a single one think this "cultural practice" should continue?

It could be the first time that every. single. one. of us agrees about something

^^
THIS

[OvaryAction]

Bewitched yes, I work for an anti FGM charity

You could print off and circulate the appropriate guidelines and circulate them in local hospitals, maternity clinics, police stations, social services and schools?

I was looking into maternity guidelines earlier and the safest time to deinfibulate a pregnant woman is around 20 weeks, but no midwife I've ever met has any real idea about what FGM is, signs a woman has undergone it or what they can do to help them.

If FGM goes undetected and the woman's genitals remain closed, babies can be squashed and suffocated in the birth canal and women can suffer horrendous tearing and hemorrhaging. Both are at risk of death.

The people who could really make a difference are just so uninformed. It's such a horrible shame. I really hope Leyla's petition forces the government to get off their arses and sort this out.

[BewitchedBotheredandBewildered]

I will do that, thank you.

Have also emailed MP.

[Wonderstuff]

Bumping thread, watch the program, sign the petition, this really has to stop.

[Sparklingbrook]

Here is the programme on 4OD

[Lastofthepodpeople]

Just signed the petition. I'm aware of FGM and my imagination is enough. I don't think I could face watching the programme.

Like others have said, I find it hard to understand how parents (especially mothers who've been through it themselves) can allow something like this to be done to their daughters.

[Sparklingbrook]

There is so much of it I don't understand.

[Wonderstuff]

Leynas blog post is really insightful if you can't face the program. It comes down to mothers fearing their daughters will be ostracised, unable to marry, the whole family will have to face being seen as 'unclean' by the wider community. So whole families and communities have to take a stand, the mother alone doesn't have the power to say no.

[Sparklingbrook]

I am quite interested in the mens' point of view.