"If a white man or woman saw a white child that is mutilated, there would be screaming. I guarantee it would end.“
Waris DirieRead more:
Nationality at birth: Somalian
| Area | Type | From | To | Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Model | 1987 | 1997 | International | |
| UN Women Goodwill Ambassador | 1997 | 2003 | ||
| Human rights activist | 1997 | Present | ||
| Founder of Desert Flower Foundation | 2002 |
Leitmotif
The fight against female genital mutilation and the promotion of women’s rights
How did the story become known?
Waris Dirie’s story first became known when she decided to talk about female genital mutilation (FGM) in an interview for Marie Claire magazine in 1997. She subsequently gave several interviews on the subject. In 1998, she published her autobiography, Desert Flower.
When did the story become known?
In 1997, through an interview in Marie Claire magazine.
Where did the story become known?
Due to the extensive media coverage, the story quickly became known internationally.
Prizes, Awards
Waris Dirie has received many prizes and awards, including the following:
- 1999: “Africa Prize” from the German Africa Foundation
- 2000: “Woman of the Year Award” from Glamour magazine
- 2002: “Corine – International Book Prize” from the German Book Trade Association
- 2004: “World Social Award” from the Women’s World Awards
- 2004: “Bishop Oscar Romero Prize” from the Catholic Men’s Movement in Austria
- 2007: She was named a “Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur” by French President Nicolas Sarkozy
Literature (literature, films, websites etc.)
Books:
- with Cathleen Miller: Desert Flower, Schneekluth, 1998.
- with Jeanne D’Haem: Nomadentochter (Nomad Daughter). Blanvalet, 2002.
- with Corinna Milborn and Christian Nusser: Schmerzenskinder (Children of Pain). Marion von Schröder, 2005.
- with Christian Nusser: Brief an meine Mutter (Letter to My Mother). Ullstein, 2007.
- Black Woman, White Land. Droemer, 2010.
- Safa, the Rescue of the Little Desert Flower. Knaur Verlag, 2013.
- My Africa – The Journey. Desert Flower Foundation, 2017.
Films:
A Nomad in New York. BBC documentary, 1995.
Desert Flower, feature film by Sherry Hormann, 2009.
Website:
Desert Flower Foundation: https://www.desertflowerfoundation.org/en
Right to health
Right to health
Right to health
INTRODUCTION
Waris Dirie is one of the most well-known activists against female genital mutilation (FGM). Her life story, recorded in her autobiography ‘Desert Flower’, has raised awareness of this practice worldwide. As a former UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and founder of the Desert Flower Foundation, she campaigns for the rights of women and children.
THE STORY
“Anything to do with females is considered less important.” [1]
Waris Dirie was born around 1965 in Galkayo, Somalia, into a nomadic family. From an early age, her life was shaped by harsh living conditions and patriarchal structures. At around the age of five, she experienced the cruel practice of female genital mutilation (FGM), which was considered a necessary ritual in her culture. This traumatic experience and its physical effects would accompany her throughout her life. At only five years old, she was circumcised under the most primitive conditions, an event she later described in detail in her autobiography Desert Flower. Unlike many girls in her community, she survived this procedure.[2] According to UNICEF estimates, more than 230 million girls and women worldwide are survivors of female genital mutilation, and more than four million girls worldwide are at risk of genital mutilation every year.[3]
At the age of 13, Waris Dirie was to be married against her will to a 60-year-old man. Her mother supported Dirie in her decision to escape this forced marriage. She fled at night, barefoot and without food, through the desert to reach her aunt in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia. During her escape, she encountered dangerous situations, such as an encounter with a lion and two sexual assaults. She eventually found refuge with various relatives before travelling to London with her uncle. There she worked for her uncle, the Somali ambassador, as a domestic helper.[4]
Her life took a dramatic turn when she was discovered by a photographer. In the 1980s, she began her career as a model and soon became internationally famous. She walked the catwalk for major fashion brands and appeared in well-known fashion magazines. Despite her success, Dirie felt that her life had to have a greater meaning.[5]
In 1997, Dirie broke her silence about her experiences with FGM in an interview with Marie Claire magazine. Her openness shocked the world and brought the issue to international attention for the first time.
[6] In the same year, she was appointed UN Women Goodwill Ambassador for the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation. She began to use her platform to fight for the rights of women and girls who are victims of this practice.[7]
“This is abuse against a child, so to say this is your ‘thing’, it’s to do with your religion or race, it’s all wrong. This is about child protection. I don’t see anything else, and I think it’s covered up by racism, and the idea that ‘I don’t want to get involved’. It’s pure violence against girls, and it destroys the rest of their lives. And for what? For who?“ [8]
In 1998, Waris Dirie published her autobiography Desert Flower, which became an international bestseller. The book describes her traumatic experiences and her impressive life journey. It brought the issue of FGM to the attention of a wide audience and served as the starting point for her activism.
In 2002, she founded the Desert Flower Foundation, which is dedicated to combating FGM and supporting survivors. The organisation focuses on prevention through education and offers medical assistance to those affected. In 2022, she opened the first medical centre in Berlin specialising in reconstructive surgery for women who have undergone FGM.[9] Waris Dirie pointed out in an interview: “Incidentally, mutilation has nothing to do with religion; the only real reason and purpose is the oppression of women. It is the most brutal form of oppression.”[10]
Waris has received numerous awards, including the French Order of Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur. Despite her international success and recognition, she has remained true to her roots. Her work against FGM is inspired by her personal history and her desire to enable future generations to have a better life.[11]
In einem Interview mit The Guardian sagte Dirie: „Ich möchte nicht, dass kleine Mädchen so werden wie ich, dass sie die Welt bereisen, um herauszufinden, dass dies nicht [allen Frauen] passiert und dass das, was passiert ist, falsch ist.“ [12] She also emphasises how important it is to fight for something together: “Social change can only be achieved through action, not just words. So I’m taking the first step and hoping that others will follow suit.” [13]
Waris Dirie’s story is a powerful example of courage, resistance and the tireless fight for human rights.
Author: Leyla Stuck
Contact: info@fritz-bauer-forum.de
Sources:
Desert Flower Foundation, URL: https://www.desertflowerfoundation.org/de [last retrieved 01.08.2025].
Dirie, Waris/ Miller, Cathleen: Wüstenblume. Schneekluth, 1998.
Lemme, Ariane: “Brutalste Form der Unterdrückung”, in: taz (2010), URL: https://taz.de/Afrikanischer-Superstar-Waris-Dirie/!5142395/ [last retrieved 01.08.2025].
Saner, Emine: Waris Dirie: ‚Female genital mutilation is pure violence against girls’, in: The Guardian (2013), URL: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2013/oct/14/waris-dirie-female-genital-mutilation-fgm [last retrieved 01.08.2025].
UNICEF: Gemeinsam gegen weibliche Genitalverstümmelung, URL: https://www.unicef.de/informieren/aktuelles/maedchenbeschneidung-stoppen, [last retrieved 01.08.2025].
Footnotes: