Survivors of female genital mutilation spoke at a national conference which took place in Nottingham.
Hana Gibremedhen stood in front of cameras and spectators to share her story after being cut at the age of eight.
She was born in Ethiopia but now lives in Radford with her daughter, who she has vowed to protect from FGM.
Hana’s story was read out by human rights activist Valentine Nkoyo, who was by her side at the Hyson Green Youth Club conference on Thursday, February 12, organised by the End FGM Together campaign.
“What I went through is the worst thing that can happen to a young girl,” said Hana, 31. “The cutter leant forward and I felt a sharp pain that was a needle going through my flesh which was followed by an unexplainable pain of the knife cutting through my flesh.
“I can’t remember how long it lasted but it felt like the longest time in my life. The pain was unbearable.”
FGM is the removal of external female genitalia, and is often carried out using a blade or razor. It is typically carried out on girls aged between four and seven in 27 African countries, and some parts of Asia and the Middle East. Around 200 new cases are reported each year in Nottingham alone.
Hana Gibremedhen, who was brought up in Ethiopia, is now a proud mother to a young daughter but said she could not face the pain she suffered during pregnancy and childbirth again.
“I had to be cut so my baby could come out,” she told the conference. “I am a mother to a beautiful daughter now but I never feel comfortable leaving her alone. I still fear getting pregnant because I’m terrified of going through that experience again. My daughter will never be cut.”
Dr Phoebe Abe, who has written a book called FGM A-Z Guide, talked about some of the people she has treated.
“I cry nearly every week when these females come to see me,” she said. “I grew up in Uganda and I escaped it, but no baby is safe.
“D stands for death. Ten per cent of girls do not survive the operation and 25 per cent die at a later date.”
FGM is illegal in the UK and although no successful prosecutions have been made in this country, offenders can serve up to 14 years in jail if found guilty.
The conference heard that £1.4 million has been earmarked by the Home Office to aid the fight against FGM in the UK.
Operation Limelight has been launched by the Metropolitan Police in London and officers now have the right to search people when they have reasonable suspicion.
Paddy Tipping, Nottinghamshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner could not disclose whether he would give extra funding locally when he decides his budget in March.
“If we are being honest this is an area where we [Nottinghamshire Police] have not made a great deal of progress in,” he said.
“But this is an issue that has gone up the agenda thanks to the hard work of a lot of people in this room, and it’s really important we change attitudes and we can only do that together.”
To follow the End FGM Together campaign on Twitter, use the #endFGMnotts hashtag.