10 years on: Amplifying voices to end violence, with The Vavengers and the Crown Prosecution

Patricia Strobino – Specialist Prosecutor, Crown Prosecution Service – shares the details of the case of Amina Noor.

This year marks a significant milestone for us. We have reached a decade of combating against Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) and Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG). To commemorate this moment, we held a collaborative event with the crown prosecution, bringing together many minds towards ending FGM/C and supporting survivors. With survivors, grassroots activists and creatives sharing tables with the Metropolitan Police, Home Office, MOPAC, lawyers, prosecutors, and other social organisations, many an enriching conversation was had and we left feeling full of hope and ready for action.

The day

Amplifying voices for change

The conference opened with a warm welcome from Lionel Idan, Chief Crown Prosecutor for London South and National Hate Crime Lead, and Sema Gornall, The Vavengers CEO, setting a tone of reflection, openness and a call to friendship:

“Today is about making friends. Find the person who can help you and connect with them to end violence together”.

Our Co-founder Mabel Evans did a short piece on the history of The Vavengers – looking back 10 years to the moment she and Hoda met at a police conference while she was making a documentary on FGM/C for her sixth form. Their first action together was the first FGM/C billboard in the UK followed by countless events bringing together artists, survivors and artists towards ending VAWG.

We ended the introductions with a screening of an episode of the The Vavengers 2019 film series ‘What if You Knew’ (YouTube). Dr Leyla Hussein OBE explains the moment a nurse asked her if she had been cut and her whole world changed. “I wonder what would have happened if Jennifer didn’t ask me…I might have cut my daughter.”

Listening to survivors, the NHS, police and prosecutors – stories and challenges

The agenda began with Halimot and Warda telling their stories, the crowd was silent and respectful. Questions followed and they were able to explain how the law might have intervened to change their story for the better, or not. 

We then had representatives from CPS (Patricia Strobino), NHS (Huda Mohamed MBE), and the Metropolitan Police (DI Karen Khan and DC Mark Crane) outline the unique challenges they face when addressing FGM/C. Themes included the need for specialist services and training to ensure survivors felt informed and supported when reporting a case and that fear of damaging their family holds many survivors back from reporting cases. 

The afternoon was more interactive as tables were invited to join a quiz and collaborate with their neighbours on creative solutions. 

As is The Vavengers way, the day ended with an exceptional performance from our creative ambassador DYLEMA. Her poem about female pleasure was the perfect final touch on a day challenging traditionally bureaucratic spaces to rethink how they address Violence Against Women and Girls.

Sema Gornall then gave her closing reflections on the importance of the day and the continued need to get together as a collective including cross-government departments, survivor activists and non-profit, working together on the shared goal of supporting and protecting women and girl children. She read one of her poems ‘The Humble Child’, one focused on the story of systemically failed children in our world. Lionel Idan ended by underscoring the day's key messages: the importance of unity, the power of amplifying survivor voices, and their ongoing commitment to ending VAWG, together.

Final thoughts and reflections 

Each speaker – from survivor stories to the MET police – gave evidence to support the need for survivor support that flexes to the individual needs of each woman. Every single survivor has a unique web of moments that got them to where they are. Survivors' stories are not quantitative data or perfectly formed evidence that fits into predetermined boxes and laws. To end FGM/C we must address each woman as the intricate person she is and build systems and laws that facilitate that. 

The case of Amina Noor (the first woman prosecuted in the UK for trafficking a girl-child to Kenya to have FGM/C performed) was discussed across tables following the presentation of the facts and process by Patricia from CPS. As was raised by Noor’s recent rejected appeal, how much has she been considered as a survivor herself? A woman equally as trapped in the history of misogynistic violence as the girl child she helped to be cut. All agencies present raised their concern on why there wasn’t a single male defendant prosecuted on FGM/C crime although it’s a form of violence caused by misogyny and male oppression. 

As The Vavengers look forward to the next decade, this event served as a powerful reminder of what can be achieved through collaboration and unwavering dedication. By amplifying the voices of survivors, using creativity and humanity, and fostering a spirit of unity and hope, we can continue to make strides towards a world free from VAWG. 

Thank you to everyone who shared their creativity, hearts and time yesterday. This won’t be the last space like this but for now we will take our enriched minds into our work and follow up on all the conversations started… 

Please get in touch to discuss anything raised in this blog info@thevavengers.co.uk