One of the most powerful sessions I attended at this year’s RCN Congress was the talk by Dame Jasvinder Sanghera. It was a difficult session to listen to at times, but also one that felt important to reflect on as a nurse working within fertility services.

Dame Jasvinder Sanghera spoke with honesty and clarity about forced marriage and honour-based abuse, drawing on both lived experience and her extensive advocacy work. A message that stayed with me was her reminder that “cultural acceptance does not mean accepting the unacceptable.” She challenged the idea that these practices can be explained away as tradition or culture, and instead firmly positioned them as safeguarding issues that professionals need to recognise and act on.

What stood out most was her emphasis on the role of healthcare professionals, particularly nurses. She highlighted that we are often in positions where we may notice something isn’t quite right, even if it isn’t immediately obvious. She encouraged us not to be afraid to ask questions where there are concerns, reinforcing that this is part of our responsibility in safeguarding.

The talk was incredibly moving, and there were clear moments where the audience was visibly affected. The reference to the case of Shafilea Ahmed was particularly hard to hear. Her story is a painful reminder of what can happen when young people are trapped in situations where they feel unable to speak or escape.

After the session, one audience member shared their own experience, which brought home how present these issues still are. It was a very powerful moment. The session ended with a standing ovation, which felt like a collective acknowledgement of both the importance of the subject and the courage it takes to speak about it so openly.

Reflecting on this from a fertility nursing perspective, it made me think about how easily issues of coercion or control can sit beneath the surface in clinical settings. Even if not immediately obvious, patients may be experiencing pressure around reproductive choices or relationships, and it reinforced for me the importance of being alert to safeguarding concerns and creating space for honest conversations.

Overall, it was a talk that will stay with me. It was thought-provoking and at times difficult, but it reinforced something very simple: as nurses, we have a responsibility to notice, to listen, and to act when something doesn't feel right.