BBC Casualty

Unsilenced

For the first time ever the BBC drama Casualty tackled the issue of FGM to engage a wider audience in the U.K, to bring about awareness of the act and from a silencing-secrecy in communities that practice it to the public concern. The script emphasised the importance of safeguarding responsibilities of professionals who may come in face to case contact with affected girls, i.e. the surgeons at hospital; the hidden crime that should be reported to police in cases of suspecting. From the posts on BBC Casualty facebook page it is evident that this episode has been an eye opener for a lot of the British public, citizens were shocked to hear that this practice is going on in the U.K. Two commentators mentioned child abuse in a country of law and order. The story dealt with the physiology of FGM in childbirth complications as well as vulnerable children at risk of child abuse.

Dr Comfort Momoh MBE a Public Health Specialist who has been working on FGM for over twenty years says that collaborative work still needs to be done with religious leaders, professionals and to change mindsets, also pointing out that in the U.K 15,000 girls and women are at risk annually. Nimco Ali and her colleagues at the organisation Daughters of Eve participated in the research for the writing of the story. Integrate Bristol members also helped in this production. It was very painful and disturbing to watch specific scenes being a sensitive topic, nevertheless it was a good medium to broaden the audience, from the viewings the possibility of a way FORWARD to discuss and tackle child abuse.