She spoke about it on the show.
The Real Housewives of Dubai star Chanel Ayan has spoken out about her forced female genital mutilation when she was a child.
Breaking down in tears while speaking about the experience, she opened up on the latest episode of the Bravo show to shed light on the issue.
During an emotional hypnotherapy session with her co-stars, Chanel spoke with Sara Al-Madani and a therapist as she detailed the moment she and her older sister were brought for the procedure.
“At 5-years-old, my aunt and my grandma came to pick us up to take us to another town,” she shared. “And then the next morning at 6am, I didn’t know where I was going whatsoever and then they took us to this man’s house and they just tied us on the bed and we were circumcised.”
“I don’t have a lot of memories because I feel like I block things.”
“We were tied in the legs,” the mom-of-one continued. “Couldn’t pee. Couldn’t move.
By telling my story and spreading awareness, I have taken my power back and I’m no longer a victim and I want to fight against #endFGM
— Chanelayan (@chanelayan) August 18, 2022
“When we needed to pee, they would carry us and put us on the grass. I just didn’t understand what the hell was going on whatsoever and my mom didn’t know that that was happening to us.”
The World Health Organisation describes female genital mutilation as: “Procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female genital organs for non-medical reasons. The practice is mostly carried out by traditional practitioners.”
The procedure can have negative impacts on sex, childbirth and a person’s mental health.
Chanel revealed she has since sought medical treatment to allow her to be intimate with her husband after the procedure left her unable to.
“The reason that I’m talking about it is to bring awareness to it and I want people to understand this happens every single day, and if that’s my mission, maybe that’s what I should be doing,” she added.
