On October 25, 2024, the Alice Schwarzer Foundation's Heroine Award was presented for the second time in Berlin's town hall “Rotes Rathaus”: to physician Dr. Cornelia Strunz and social worker Virginia Wangare Greiner for their fight against clitoral mutilation in the heart of Germany. The German-Kenyan social worker Virginia Wangare Greiner advises mutilated women in Frankfurt with her organization “Maisha” and prevents further mutilations through education. Doctor Cornelia Strunz of Berlin ensures that the stitched-up vagina and mutilated clitoris are restored as far as possible via surgery at the “Desert Flower Center” in Waldfriede Hospital. Worldwide, 230 million women and girls are affected from Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). 70,000 in Germany alone - and 20,000 girls are at acute risk here in Germany. Waris Dirie, ex-top model and author of “Desert Flower”, gave a moving award speech. “I cannot believe that I am still standing here after 40 years and have to denounce this crime!” she said. The Alice Schwarzer Foundation's Heroine Award was presented for the second time. Last year, it went to the Iranian lawyer and human rights activist Nasrin Sotoudeh.
Many women and girls whose genitalia have been mutilated are treated at the Waldfriede Hospital in Berlin-Zehlendorf. This is done in cooperation with the Desert Flower Center located there. It was opened in September 2013 and was the first center of its kind in the world. Under the medical direction of Chief Physician Dr. Roland Scherer, Senior Physician Dr. Cornelia Strunz has shown outstanding commitment from the very beginning, according to a statement from Waldfriede Hospital. There, mutilated genitals are reconstructed through surgery.
Laudatory speech by Waris Dirie, ex-top model and author
Waris Dirie held the laudatory speech. “I can't believe that after 40 years I'm still standing here denouncing this crime!” she said, according to EMMA magazine. “Shame on you for not having managed to abolish female genital mutilation!” And this applies not only to Africa, but also to Europe. “I want this to be over!”, she said according to EMMA.
Her stirring book Desert Flower was published in 1998, in which she describes her own life story: how she herself had to undergo genital mutilation at the age of five, how she fled from Somalia to England at the age of 13, was discovered there as a model at the age of 18 and has been fighting against this cruel practice ever since. The Desert Flower Center (DFC) at Waldfriede Hospital cooperates with Waris Dirie's foundation of the same name, which is based in Vienna. “I hate still having to fight for my dignity and my worth as a woman,” said the UN Special Envoy and patron of the DFC Waldfriede, according to the Berlin daily newspaper Tagesspiegel.
Since the DFC Waldfriede was founded, over 700 women have sought medical help there. Around 300 women have required surgery. As medical coordinator at DFC Waldfriede, senior physician Dr. Cornelia Strunz is the first person affected women contact by phone or email. “We offer women who suffer from the consequences of genital mutilation a holistic treatment. In addition to surgical interventions and reconstructive surgery, we also support affected women with psychological and sexual therapy. Since 2015, there has been a self-help group that meets regularly. There is an intensive course for doctors, midwives and nurses twice a year. The Desert Flower magazine has been available in three languages (German, English, French) since October 2020. The costs of medical treatment for women with statutory health insurance are now covered by health insurance companies in Germany. For all non-insured women, the costs are covered by the Waldfriede e.V. support association, which is financed by donations. Further information: www.dfc-waldfriede.de
Video of the award ceremony: www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2bB5G6V5tI
Source: apd and youtube