African Voices

SHOW #32

Waris Dirie

Based in Austria, Somalian supermodel and human rights activist Waris Dirie campaigns against female genital mutilation (FGM), a controversial cultural tradition common in parts of Africa, South America, the Middle East and Asia. Dirie has struggled to overcome her own circumcision, performed at the age of five. To avoid an arranged marriage with an older man, Dirie fled Somalia for London, where a fashion photographer discovered her. Since then, Dirie’s successful modeling career has given her a greater platform to fight FGM. She created the Waris Dirie Foundation in 2002 and has been awarded numerous honors for her work. The new film “Desert Flower” is based on her best-selling autobiography.