Why did you want to attend the workshop and share your story?
I was interested in attending the workshop as it was the first one that I had come across that focused on survivors of FGM/C. I wanted to connect with other survivors and hear their stories, while also being able to share my own story with other survivors as well. I felt like it was going to be a journey for my healing process, which is still ongoing.
I wanted to share my story with the world so people can start to understand how this practice can affect a person both physically and mentally, I also wanted to share my story to help others. I've been an activist for years and had spoken against other topics, like arranged marriages for young girls and other horrible things, but never about FGM/C – never my personal story. Many of the young girls I try to help don’t always understand that I was in a similar situation to them and that I really know how they feel. That's another reason why I wanted to speak out – to make the young girls I help feel seen and heard.
What story did you choose to tell and create into a digital story?
I spoke about my experience with FGM/C and how I went through it unknowingly.
I was around 12 or 13 years old when it happened. I spoke about the process of it – the pain of it, and the embarrassment of being exposed as a teenager to a group of adult women like that. Then later the misplaced excitement as my community told me that being cut was something to be proud of.
It would not be until much later in my life that I would realize what was taken from me, that I would fully understand the scope and depth of my trauma. It felt embarrassing to speak about it for many years. Due to the fact that I was just beginning to come to terms with what had happened and because I was fearful of reactions from my community. I knew that if I spoke out against FGM/C, I would be criticized by both my community and those outside of it who did not understand the complexity of FGM/C.
I was living in denial really, of what happened to me, and I came to this realization that if I kept it inside, I would never heal from it. So that's [another reason] why I decided to share my story –to ensure that I get some healing.
What have you learned or most enjoyed during the workshop and by meeting others who have shared their stories?
It was one of the best workshops I've had in several years. I've gone to other workshops where people just meet and they share powerful stories, but these ones were really impactful to me. The fact that these women have been deprived of their rights, but are still standing strong and coming out against the practice. It gave me a lot of strength and courage. Being able to mingle and talk with these women and create a bond of love and sisterhood between us was one of the most powerful parts of the workshop for me.
I think the workshop has [also] helped me be more open to sharing my story with others. Before the workshop, I would just speak up against other forms of gender-based violence, even though I knew that FGM/C was wrong. Now after the workshop and speaking with other survivors, I feel more comfortable speaking on the topic.
However I’m still on my healing journey. I’m not 100% comfortable sharing my experience with everyone, particularly my brother and my community. Sometimes I worry about how they will react to my story once it’s out there – what will they say? But I also know that the more I tell the story, the easier it will get. That’s why I hope that the digital story will help me [explore] other platforms and connect me to other organizations also fighting this practice.
What kind of impact would you like your story to have?
I want my story to open up the eyes of communities that still practice FGM/C and [shed light on] the effects and how traumatizing practice can be. When people look at us, we [seem] physically okay. We are driving, we are doctors, we are whatever…but something deep inside has been affected, been taken, and we need to acknowledge that.
When you get to sit down with a woman that has gone through FGM/C, she may just burst out into tears when she tells you what she’s gone through because it has been buried deep within. So I would love my story to expose the emotional harm of the practice, and to give others an idea of how FGM/C affects a survivor for the rest of their lives. For example, going through the practice can make it difficult to form connections and relationships, because of embarrassment, sexual discomfort. In some cases, FGM/C makes it diffcult for women to have children.
I will always feel that FGM/C took away my voice. It made me feel like I could not speak up boldly anymore. Now that I have shared my story, I feel more confident in helping others who have been through the practice. I would want my story to empower people out there to speak up as well.
Is there anything from your digital story that you would like to share here?
Yes, I would like to talk about the person who is the reason for me being able to share my story in the first place– my partner. He’s always been very supportive of me and my work, [and] he’s been a really positive force in my life. So when I heard about the workshop I told him about it. I was a little hesitant to attend, but he really convinced me to go and he encouraged me to speak up without fear. If I didn’t have his reassurance and support, I’m so sure that I would never have felt brave enough to speak about my experience.
Emily Lerosion is a Samburu Indigenous woman leader originally from Laikipia North, Kenya, now based in Washington State. In addition to her roles as a wife and mother, she is a dedicated development worker and a passionate human rights activist, focusing her advocacy on the rights of women, girls, and vulnerable children. She proudly represents several prestigious organizations, including CIVICUS World Alliance, the UN Global Indigenous Youth Caucus, and the Universal Periodic Review Kenya team, while also contributing as a member of the Women and Gender Constituency. Her academic background includes graduating from the Deep Democracy Institute as a Trainer of Trainers and completing the 8th edition of the FIMI Global Leadership School, along with a degree in Advocacy and Human Rights from Columbia University. She has started a new role as an Advisory Committee Member for the Washington State FGM/C Project. She firmly believes in the transformative power of collective action, emphasizing that “Women can make a real difference, only if they team up, stand up for their voices, and act.”