Woman's Hour - Edna Adan Ismail, Smear Tests Over 50

Edna Adan Ismail, Smear Tests Over 50

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Edna Adan Ismail has spent her life improving women's health in Africa, campaigning to end FGM and becoming Somaliland’s first midwife. She was also its first Foreign Minister and is a former First Lady. She was the daughter of a doctor in Somaliland at a time when educating women was frowned upon. She saw for herself how poor health care, lack of education and superstition had a devastating effect, especially on women. At eight years old she herself went through FGM and it was supported by all the women in her family. That set her on a path to oppose it. Now in her 80s, she still works at the hospital she helped to build after retiring from the World Health Organisation. Her story: A Woman of Firsts was recently serialised for BBC Radio 4 and is available on the BBC Sounds App.


Published on Wednesday, 14th August 2019.

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