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A few years ago I ran some marathons, very slowly.
I'm slowly and painfully coming out of marathon retirement to raise money for Daughters of Eve (via Integrate Bristol, thank you!) when I run/jog/trudge/crawl the London Marathon on 13th April 2014.
http://www.dofeve.org/
In the picture there you can see me dragging myself along in the dark on a mountain in Wales, back in the days when I was fit. This time it is going to be much more painful as all my muscles have now atrophied.
I'm raising money for Daughters of Eve because it's their mission to end the practice of FGM (female genital mutilation).
FGM is the painful, traumatic and medically unnecessary practice of mutilating the female genitalia. It takes many forms and is practised by many different groups of people in the UK and all over the world. It is often performed on girls of a very young age. It is the imposition of ideas about womanhood or purity on girls and women at great cost to their physical and mental health.
(Also read this: http://www.dofeve.org/about-fgm.html)
It is illegal in the UK (and has been since 1985) but nobody has yet been prosecuted for performing FGM, despite the fact that an estimated 60,000 women in the UK are living with its consequences, and another 23,000 girls under 15 are at potential risk of FGM each year.
(http://www.nspcc.org.uk/inform/resourcesforprofessionals/minorityethnic/female-genital-mutilation_wda96841.html#prevalent)
Here is some info on the types of FGM. It is graphic and will upset you. (But much less than it upsets the girls who experience it.) http://www.dofeve.org/types-of-fgm.html
This is what it's like to live with FGM: http://www.dofeve.org/living-with-fgm.html
Daughters of Eve are inspiring women working against huge opposition to protect girls and women. Please support them.
http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/11/after-speaking-out-against-fgm-i-was-abused-and-isolated-i-dont-regret-it-moment
