In recent years, we have repeatedly reported on the extraordinary commitment and work of the Desert Flower Center (DFC) at Waldfriede Hospital.
The Desert Flower Center at Waldfriede was opened in September 2013 and was the first center of its kind in the world. Under the medical direction of Chief Physician Dr. Roland Scherer, Senior Physician Dr. Cornelia Strunz has been outstandingly committed since the opening.
On 25 October 2024, Dr. Strunz will, therefore, be honored with the “Heroine Award” from the Alice Schwarzer Foundation, in Berlin's Rotes Rathaus, for her tireless commitment to women with genital mutilation. Several newspapers in Germany have already reported on this. The laudatory speech for Dr. Cornelia Strunz will be given by Waris Dirie.
Since DFC Waldfriede was founded, more than 700 women have sought medical help here. Around 300 women have required surgery. As medical coordinator of the DFC Waldfriede, Dr. Strunz is the first person who affected women contact by phone or email. “We offer, [to] women suffering from the consequences of genital mutilation, holistic medical care. In addition to surgical interventions and reconstructive surgery, we also support affected women with psychological and sexual therapy. Since 2015, there has been a self-help group that meets regularly. There is an intensive course for doctors, midwives, and nurses twice a year. The Desert Flower magazine has been available in three languages (German, English, French) since October 2020. A specialist book on the topic has also been on sale since 2020...”
According to the WHO, up to 250 million women worldwide are 'circumcised'. In Germany, there are around 74,000 girls and women who have undergone genital mutilation.
The tireless efforts of Dr. Strunz, as senior physician, and the DFC team with the head physician, Dr. Scherer, seem laborious in view of the high numbers of women affected. But every single person counts here. Every affected woman who can be given back some quality of life is worth all the effort and commitment.
The costs for women with statutory health insurance in Germany are now covered by the health insurance companies. The Waldfriede e.V. support association, which is financed by donations, covers the costs for all those who are not insured.
