Huda Mohamed

A MIDWIFE who runs a clinic at the Whittington Hospital for survivors of female genital mutilation (FGM) was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours.

Huda Mohamed, who received the award for services to midwifery and was nominated by her health trust, went to the House of Lords last year to call for FGM reconstructive surgery to be made available on the NHS.

Women can spend thousands travelling to other countries to pay for surgery, she said.

“Sometimes when they cut them as children, they damage the nerves so they have continuous pain that means they won’t be able to sit down, they can’t keep jobs, they experience irritation when they’re wearing tight clothes,” Ms Mohamed explained.

Ms Mohamed, who has delivered thousands of babies at the Archway hospital since she joined 20 years ago, expects to hear back from the Lords this year.

In 2011, Home Office data estimated there were 137,000 people living with FGM in England and Wales, but just last year more than 5,800 survivors were newly identified, leading experts to suggest numbers are likely to be much higher. But Ms Mohamed wanted to stress FGM was not just an “African, black” issue. She said people in many countries, including Russia and Colombia, practise it too.

She described the lack of support for survivors as a “biased system,” questioning why the NHS is able to treat women who suffer traumatic births or cancer but tells survivors “if you have had FGM it has nothing to do with us”.

“Their human rights were taken away from them,” she added.

She opened her letter about her MBE after a shift at the Whittington, and said her daughter started screaming with joy. “Being honoured with an MBE is a deeply significant recognition that extends beyond my individual efforts,” she said.