Lorraine Kelly is shining a light on a cause very close to her heart. Find out what it is in her weekly HELLO! column...
In my job I'm lucky enough to meet some astonishingly inspirational women. I've sat down with forces of nature like Oprah Winfrey, Meryl Streep and Melinda Gates. This week it was such a privilege to interview the incredible Hibo Wardere on my show.
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Hibo is quite simply one of the bravest women I know. She is a warrior, fighting against a horrific and barbaric form of abuse inflicted upon little girls.
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Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is not an easy subject to discuss and I know that a lot of people just don't want to face the reality that in this day and age little girls are having their genitals cut and mutilated, but the harsh reality is that 200 MILLION girls and women alive today have had this inflicted upon them.
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The pain and suffering are unimaginable and the long-term effects, especially when giving birth, can be life-threatening.
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HELLO! has been an important ally, and our editor in chief Rosie Nixon has given Hibo a voice to raise awareness and to stop this awful practice. Hibo also had the support of Dawn French and I too am determined to help her in any way I can.
Hibo was subjected to FGM when she was just six years old, held down by her mother and aunt and suffering appalling physical and mental agony. She moved here to the UK and is passionate about preventing it from happening to other girls.
We might think this is something going on in countries far away in parts of Africa and the Middle East, but sadly it happens here in the UK too, in clinical, sterile conditions, which somehow makes it even more horrifying.
And legendary chat show queen Oprah
Education is the key and Hibo is working hard talking to schools where pupils might feel vulnerable and getting government, teachers and social workers on her side.
If you want to help, check out Hibo's JustGiving page and donate what you can to this vital cause. Let's bring FGM out of the darkness and into the light, and do whatever we can to eradicate this monstrous cruelty.
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