In the second episode, we introduce the first part of 3 episodes with The Vavengers, a UK-based survivor-led non-profit, working to end FGM/C (Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting) and all other forms of Violence Against Women and Girls.

We start with a conversation with Hoda Ali, the Founding Trustee of The Vavengers - who also worked as a sexual health nurse for many years and is currently working as a Safeguarding Specialist. In this first part, she speaks about her experience as a survivor of FGM/C & her journey into her current work & activism. She also discusses the role of the healthcare system in protecting women and girls at risk of or who have experienced FGM/C. Learn more about Hoda and her journey at www.hodamali.com

In the next part, we will be interviewing Sema Gornall, the CEO of The Vavengers, entrepreneur and writer. We will be talking with her about her early life in Turkey, and her journey into her activism and working within the advocacy sector for women and girls! Learn more about Sema and her journey at www.semagornall.com

Across these 3 interviews with The Vavengers, you can expect to hear conversations about the importance of using the correct terminology, current community-based initiatives & educational programmes in London as well as the role of healthcare to help end FGM/C. We discuss the role of the media as a resource for women and girls to advocate for change within their communities and the importance of having an intersectional approach.

Special thanks to Hoda and Sema for coming to talk to us, and to The Vavengers team overall for the amazing work they do on their advocacy work and campaigning against gender-based violence. For those interested, they are running the UK's only pop-up holistic wellness & support hubs for women and girls. Anyone who identifies as a woman or girl (or in the body of a woman or girl) is more than welcome to join - there are no eligibility criteria to join their hubs and legal status or household income isn't questioned. Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions, a link to The Vavengers website is also on our link tree where you can read more about what they do!

Please stay tuned for the next episode in 2 weeks time if you’d like to hear from Sema & to further explore these topics. We hope you found this informative & continue to support the podcast as well as the charities we are collaborating with!

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