Waris Dirie

Waris Dirie was born into a Somali nomadic family. At the age of five, she became a victim of female genital mutilation; at 13, she fled alone across the desert to London. At 18, she was discovered as a model by photographer Terence Donovan and went on to achieve international recognition. In an interview with the magazine Marie Claire, she spoke publicly about her experiences and about female genital mutilation. UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan subsequently appointed her a special ambassador in the campaign against the practice. Dirie is a human rights activist, bestselling author, and artist. She founded the Desert Flower Foundation, which works against female genital mutilation and advocates for the rights of African women.