Helping women who have suffered from the horrendous trauma of genital mutilation has become a life mission for Dr. Cornelia Strunz. Anyone who sees her interacting with the women at the support group meetings can see how much love and enthusiasm she brings to her work, helping women find relief from the terrible consequences of Female Genital Mutilation.
On April 21, 2016, Ralf Wieland, President of the House of Representatives of Berlin presented the Louise-Schroeder-Medal to Dr. Strunz and Mrs. Evelyn Brenda as representatives of the whole interdisciplinary team of the Desert-Flower center - opened on September 11, 2013, under the auspices of Waris Dirie, herself a victim of FGM at age five, former model and international activist for women's rights.
The Krankenhaus Waldfriede (Berlin Hospital) that opened the Desert Flower Center is run by the Adventist Church in the Inter-European Region.
The medal is awarded to acknowledge special merit in favour of democracy, peace, social justice and equality of women and men. The event was covered by press and television, creating awareness for the plight of millions of women world-wide.
Louise Schroeder (1887-1957) devoted her whole life to the untiring advocation of equal treatment of women. Her name is intrinsically tied to the advocacy of democracy, participation of women in politics and engagement against injustice and abuse of power.
