FGM midwife receives national honour

A pioneering midwife who cares for victims of female genital mutilation (FGM), and has campaigned tirelessly to eradicate the practice in the UK for more than 25 years, has received a national honour for her services.

Dr Comfort Momoh MBE, FGM and public health specialist at Guy’s and St Thomas’, was awarded a Fellowship by the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) at their annual lecture in Leeds (Mon 25 July). She is the first FGM specialist to be awarded a Fellowship by the RCM.

Comfort established one of the UK’s first FGM clinics at Guy’s Hospital in 1997.

She says: “It is an honour to be awarded one of the first ever Fellowships by the Royal College of Midwifery. Collaboration and empowerment is the key to changing and saving lives. With the support of organisations like the RCM, together, one day, we will see an end to FGM.”

The RCM Fellowship recognises individuals who provide exceptional leadership and deliver innovation and excellence in practice, education or research in midwifery. The aim is to highlight and showcase work that improves care for women, babies and their families. 

Lynne Pacanowski, Director of Midwifery at Guy’s and St Thomas’, says: “I am delighted that Comfort has been honoured by the RCM with one of the first Fellowships. Since establishing the clinic at Guy’s Hospital almost 20 years ago she has built up a nationally recognised service and trained many midwives and doctors in the management of FGM. Most importantly, she has earned the trust of, and emboldened hundreds of women and girls to work towards a future where FGM is eradicated.”