Queen Camilla visited the Asian Women’s Resource Centre on Thursday (Image: Getty)
said it is “terrifying” that female genital mutilation is still happening as she thanked the volunteers and staff helping women in London survive abuse.
Camilla, 77, heard stories from women who have survived domestic violence, coercive control and what is known in the sector as “harmful practices”, which include forced marriage, FGM, honour-based violence, caste-based abuse, and acid attacks during her visit to the Asian Women’s Resource Centre (AWRC) in Harlesden on Thursday.
She told staff and volunteers: “Thank goodness that you’re all here. What would they do without you?”
The centre is marking the 45th anniversary of helping women from black, minority, and ethnic (BME) backgrounds in London, and the Queen was invited to unveil a plaque and open its new Healing Garden.
Camilla has campaigned for many years to raise awareness of domestic and sexual violence and last year participated in an ITV documentary where she condemned the ‘heinous crime’.
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Her Majesty heard about the AWRC through her friend and its patron, Baroness Helena Kennedy. The centre wrote to invite her to the event after hearing about her work in preventing domestic violence.
During her visit to the centre, the Queen spent around 30 minutes talking to survivors privately, hearing stories from 10 women about how they endured abuse and are rebuilding their lives.
The centre has around 20 referrals a week, providing services in 23 languages to save women from abusive partners or extended families, protect them from harm, and build their skills and confidence.
Often, the women have been brought over to England on the promise of education or marriage, only to find themselves trapped, abused and too frightened to seek help for fear of their children being removed or being sent back to their home countries without them.
The centre also has activities including yoga, art, and confidence-building sessions at its London headquarters.
“They are the strongest women you will ever meet,” one member of staff said.
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Queen Camilla has campaigned for many years to raise awareness of domestic and sexual violence (Image: Getty)
When the Queen met members of staff and trustees, she told them: “It was wonderful talking to these survivors and hearing what a difference this has made in their lives. You have obviously changed their lives.”
When one woman thanked her for coming, Camilla replied: “It’s the least I can do, you’re the ones doing the work.”
Toks Okeniyi, head of UK programmes at charity Forward, which specialises in working to end violence against African girls and women, told Queen Camilla that “every little helps” when it comes to helping those who live in the “margins of society”.
When the topic of female genital mutilation was raised, the Queen replied: “It’s terrifying, isn’t it, that it’s still happening.”
Before leaving, the Queen was given a tote bag containing information about the charity and a mug. She was also handed two takeaway containers of food for her lunch in the car on the way home: Punjabi samosas, mixed pakora and canape-sized Hari Bari Tikki.