A victim of female genital mutilation has revealed how she was brutally 'cut' when she was just 12.

Peninah, who lives in Kenya, says the thought of another child suffering the 'horrific' pain she went through spurred her own to become a campaigner against the dangerous cultural practice.

Female genital mutilation, or FGM as it is commonly known, involves cutting away external female genitalia for non-medical reasons - it commonly performed on girls up to around 15.

Illegal in the UK and most countries around the world but still commonly practised in parts of Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

FGM, also known as female circumcision, has no health benefits for girls and women and is not supported by any religious text, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).

The procedure can cause severe bleeding, problems urinating, infections and cysts, as well as complications later in life with childbirth. It's associated with an increased risk of newborn deaths and can affect sexual function and pleasure.

In August, a one-month-old baby's death in The Gambia was linked to female genital mutilation.

The Gambia has one of the highest rates of FGM in the world, with 73 percent of women and girls aged 15 to 49 having undergone the procedure, according to 2024 figures from UNICEF.

Peninah said that being 'cut' was something that 'all girls' in her community 'were required to go through'. Above: A young Peninah holding a book

The baby girl was pronounced dead upon arrival at a hospital in the capital Banjul after being 'allegedly subjected to circumcision' and developing severe bleeding, The Gambia Police Force said in a statement following the baby's death.

Speaking to the Daily Mail, Peninah, who lives in Kenya, about her own experiences of the barbaric ritual, she describes how an ordinary day turned into a living nightmare after she was taken under duress for the female circumcision ceremony.

The campaigner describes how she was woken up early in the morning with no warning of how her life would be changed forever hours later, and at the hands of the people she trusted the most.

Peninah, now 44, was taken to a secluded place for a 'ceremony' that she was told by members of her community would help her 'become a woman' aged 12.

'It was not a choice but an expectation - something that all girls in my community were required to go through,' she tells the Daily Mail.

'There was no room for fear or hesitation. I was surrounded by older women who assured me that this was an important step in life.'

She describes the physical cutting of her genitalia as 'extremely painful,' both physically and mentally.

'[It] was unbearable, and there was no form of medical attention or anaesthesia to ease it.'

'I remember the feeling of helplessness, but since everyone expected me to endure it, I had no choice but to stay silent.'

''Immediately after the 'cut', I was told to stand up because I was now a woman.'

Peninah says she was persuaded that undergoing the 'ceremony', which she described as 'extremely painful', would give her status in the community

Four years after the barbaric procedure, the campaigner was told she would marry at 16. She now helps raise awareness of FGM and estimates she's helped at least nine girls avoid the practice, which has no medical benefit

Peninah says she felt sick - but also furious - when she realised how her own health might be affected by the FGM procedure. Above: Peninah in her younger years

She says that the aftermath of such brutal pseudo surgery, usually performed as part of a community's deep-rooted traditions, saw her grappling with a 'strange mix of emotions'.

Like many girls who are forced into FGM, Peninah says she was falsely led into believing that she had achieved something 'important' and had gained more status by undergoing the procedure.

She adds: 'However, I was also confused because, despite being called a woman, I was still just a child. I didn't understand what that meant beyond the pain I was feeling.'

According to the charity Unicef, 230 million girls and women alive today have been cut around the world, with Africa accounting for the largest share of this total, with over 144 million.

Female genital mutilation has been a specific offence in the UK since the Prohibition of Female Circumcision Act 1985.

Peninah says the moment of incision 'changed my life completely' - because she was no longer considered a child and many more responsibilities were laid on her.

'My freedom to play with my friends was taken away because I was now expected to behave like a mature woman,' she says.

'I felt isolated from my peers who had not undergone FGM because our lives suddenly became very different.

'It also affected my ability to form close friendships and relationships because I was always conscious of what had happened to me.'

Four years after being mutilated, the campaigner was forced to marry at just 16 - because FGM meant she was considered a 'woman'.

'I was not ready,' Peninah says.

'I was still a child, but in the eyes of my community, I was already a woman and was expected to take on the responsibilities of marriage.

'It was not something I had planned for myself - it was something that was imposed on me.'

Explaining why so many mothers and fathers allow their daughters to be cut, she says having a female child who hasn't been 'circumcised' is still taboo in some parts of the world.

Peninah says: 'Many people believe that a girl who has not undergone FGM is not ready for marriage and will bring shame to her family.

'There is also a strong fear of rejection from the community, which makes it difficult for people to challenge the practice.'

She has four children, two girls aged two and 17 and two boys aged 11 and 21.

Educator: Peninah now teaches girls about the risks associated with the procedure and what it can mean for their futures, including a raft of potential health issues

Research by The WHO says immediate complications of FGM are common and can lead to infections such as tetanus, a haemorrhage and in some cases, even death.

It's also a life sentence for many, with painful periods, an increased risk of childbirth complications, sexual problems and psychological problems such as depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and low self-esteem all reported.

Peninah says she felt sick - but also furious - when she realised how her own health might be affected: 'When I first learned about the dangers of FGM, I felt devastated.

'I was angry and heartbroken because I had gone through something so painful without truly understanding what it meant.

'That realisation gave me the passion to become an advocate, to speak out against FGM, and to educate other girls so that they don't have to go through what I did.'

Her ensuing rage has fuelled Peninah's mission to prevent as many women and girls from going through FGM - she has been trained in child protection and child rights by the charity World Vision.

Speaking out against FGM has come at a price though. The campaigner has faced a backlash - and widespread rejection - in her community, with some chastising Peninah for 'going against the culture'.

'Some elders and even women in the community believe that I am corrupting the younger generation by discouraging them from undergoing FGM,' she says.

'However, I remain strong in my mission because I know that what I am doing is right and is saving lives.'

There have been rich rewards for her efforts too. Peninah says she's helped at least nine girls escape FGM by informing them about the risks associated with the procedure and what it can mean for their future health and wellbeing - something she wishes she had been told about before she underwent FGM.

Anti Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) protesters hold placards outside the National Assembly in Banjul in The Gambia in March 2024; according to the charity Unicef, 230 million girls and women alive today have been cut around the world

'When I talk to them about the pain, trauma, and risks associated with it, many of them are shocked,' she says.

'They had always been told that FGM was a good thing, something necessary for their future. But once they understand the truth, they are grateful and determined to stand against it.'

One of the girls she has helped escape was 12-year-old aspiring court judge, Lente.

'It frightens me. I am so afraid of FGM and early marriage as it would not benefit me at all,' Lente said.

'It frustrates me at times. We have been taught that FGM should stop since [it] affects girls and can lead to deaths... Also, FGM leads to child marriage, which is so unfair.'

Peninah says that helping Lente was 'of the most fulfilling moments in my journey' and that seeing her go through counselling and mentorship has helped give her more motivation to continue her mission.

'It reassures me that what I am doing is making a difference and that more girls can be saved from this harmful practice,' she says.

'FGM is not just a personal issue, it is a human rights issue. We need to continue educating both girls and their families so that they can make informed decisions.

'I believe that with more awareness, support, and community engagement, we can end FGM for good.'

The UK has seen several high profile cases of conspiracy to commit female genital mutilation (FGM), including that of former PhD student and Nottingham University Professor Emad Kady.

Earlier this year, Kady had a four-and-half-year sentence, handed out in November 2024, increased to seven years after his initial term was referred to the Court of Appeal under the Unduly Lenient Scheme.

Former PHD student and Nottingham University Professor Emad Kady (pictured) arriving at Nottingham Crown Court in August 2024 ahead of his trial for conspiracy to commit female genital mutilation - his sentence was increased from four-and-a-half to seven years in February

The 48-year-old had made 'barbaric' arrangements for an unaware young girl to travel from the United Kingdom to Iraq before being reported by a witness.

Police seized his phone, where they found evidence that Kady 'clearly' intended to subject the young girl to FGM, the Crown Prosecution Service previously argued.

Kady, who had been living in Swansea prior to his jail sentence, had also planned to have his victim forced into marriage.

He denied any wrongdoing, and it was heard during a trial at Nottingham Crown Court he referred to his actions as 'normal,' saying '(she) is not going to die, a lot of people are practising it.

Speaking in February following the decision to increase his sentence, solicitor General Lucy Rigby KC MP said: 'FGM is a sickening crime and this government is determined to stamp out the practice as part of our mission to halve violence against women and girls.

'This offender intended to inflict grotesque physical and mental suffering upon a child. The court has rightly decided to increase his sentence to reflect the severity of his crime.'

The former professor, who has no previous convictions, has been sentenced to seven years in jail and placed on the sex offender register for life.

And in a landmark case in 2023, Amina Noor, then 39, was convicted by jurors at the Old Bailey of aiding the female genital mutilation of a three-year-old British girl during a trip to Kenya in 2006, making her the first person to be convicted in England of committing the crime overseas.

In the first conviction of its kind in 2023, Amina Noor, then 39, was been found guilty at the Old Bailey of assisting a non-UK person to carry out female genital mutilation on a three-year-old British girl during a trip to Kenya in 2006

The court heard that Noor had taken the three-year-old girl to a 'clinic' via tuk-tuk where she was asked to wait outside a private house as the child was mutilated.

Her crime only came to light years later in November 2018 when the victim, then 16, told her English teacher what had happened.

When Noor, from Harrow, London, was confronted by police she acted shocked and claimed she had not been 'told the truth' about what would happen to the victim.

She instead argued that she thought the little girl would have been injected or pierced in a procedure known as 'Gudniin' - the Arabic word for circumcision.

But medical experts who examined the child found she had not been simply injected but had suffered severe mutilation of her genitals, which most likely would have caused significant bleeding and extreme pain.

Giving evidence throughout her trial, Noor claimed she was threatened with being 'cursed' and 'disowned' from her community if she did not take part.

The case saw the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) working alongside the police and National Crime Agency to prove that during her visit to Kenya, Noor knew some form of FGM was being committed against the victim.

Investigators were able to find that she intentionally assisted with the commission of the offence. Noor was jailed for seven years in February 2024.

If you need to speak to someone, contact the NSPCC FGM helpline on: 0800 028 3550