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African Union
www.au.int
Waris Dirie Foundation
For over 12 years, Waris Dirie has fought against female genital mutilation (FGM) worldwide. At least 150 million women and girls are affected by this cruel practice, which continues to be performed in Africa, but also in Asia, Europe, America and Australia.
www.waris-dirie-foundation.com |
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Waris Dirie
African Union Peace Ambassador for the Year of Peace and Security |
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| Activist and fashion supermodel Waris Dirie (Somalia) was appointed UNFPA Special Ambassador for the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) on 18 September 1997. As Special Ambassador, Ms. Dirie has toured African countries speaking out against the practice and lending support to UNFPA and national programmes that seek to eradicate FGM. As a young girl in Somalia she survived the traditional form of FGM that kills hundreds of women every year. After achieving international success as a fashion model, she decided to tell the public of her ordeal and to dedicate her life to ending the practice and improving the status of women. Ms. Dirie’s work is part of an international advocacy campaign to stimulate awareness of and support for human rights, gender equality and reproductive choice, especially for women in developing countries. |
„I am very honored that my African brothers and sisters award me with this high position. But this position means a lot of responsibility. I am from an african country, Somalia, which is affected by a horrible civil war since 20 years and it cannot find peace. With my new position I want to help to bring peace to Somalia. I am already working on a project for this and I will present the project in September. But there is another, much worse war in Africa. A war against women. The name of this war is „Female Genital Mutilation“ and it affects millions of girls every year. More than 150 million of women are traumatized by this absurd war and suffer their whole lifes from the consequences. Therefore, I demand that the African governments and all the people in Africa end this war. I want and I will contribute. I felt the spirit of a new era in Africa at our first meeting in Addis Ababa on the 16th of July. Now we need to use this spirit that the wonderful african continent is able to develop beauty and strength.“
16 July 2010, Waris Dirie was appointed as Ambassador for Peace and Security in Africa by the Chairman of the African Union, Jean Ping, within the context of the Peace & Security Summit of the African Union. 2010 is the Year of Peace and Security in Africa, the 21st of September 2010 is the African Peace Day.
Waris means Desert Flower, a flower that can bloom even in the roughest climate. Waris Dirie is a nomadic child from Somalia and a mother of two beautiful sons. She is a human rights activist, a supermodel, and a best-selling author who has received numerous prestigious awards for her work and her commitment in the fight against female genital mutilation.
Waris Dirie was born in 1965 into a nomad family living in the region of Gallcaio, in the Somali desert near the border to Ethiopia. At the tender age of five, she underwent the inhuman procedure of genital mutilation. This horrible tradition is still practiced worldwide today, both by Moslems and Christians. According to estimations of the United Nations, more than 8 000 girls become victims of this cruel crime every day.
At the age of 13 Waris fled from a forced marriage to a man, who could have been her grandfather in age. After an adventurous escape she arrived in London and worked there as a housemaid and at McDonald’s.
Supermodel and Bond Girl
She was discovered by the British top photographer Terence Donovan as a model at the age of 18 and became an international celebrity. She was given a part as a James Bond girl in the movie ‘The Living Daylight’, side by side with Timothy Dalton.
UN Special Ambassador for the elimination of Female Genital Mutilation
On 18 September 1997 the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, appointed her as UN Special Ambassador for the elimination of Female Genital Mutilation. She travelled the world for the UN, participated in conferences, met with presidents, Nobel Prize winners and movie stars and collects enormous funds for the UN.
Desert Flower - Blockbuster
1997 Waris Dirie’s biography ‘Desert Flower’ was published in New York. The book became an international bestseller (in Germany, for example, the book stayed in the Top Ten list of best-selling books published in the magazine ‘Der Spiegel’ for a total of 120 weeks). The book appeared in more than 50 licensed editions and became number 1 of the best-seller lists in many countries. Till today, there were 11 million copies sold worldwide.
Waris Dirie Foundation
In 2002 she founded her own foundation, named Waris Dirie Foundation, based in Vienna/Austria and since then has collected money for her own projects.
Awards and Honours
In 2007 the French President Nicolas Sarkozy appointed her as a ‘Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur’, the ‘World Demographic Association’ nominated her as the first woman for the ‘Prix de la GÈnÈration’ and the ‘Martin Buber Foundation’ nominated her as the first woman for the ‘Martin Buber Gold Medal’.
Desert Flower - The Feature Film
In March 2008 filming for ‘Desert Flower’, which is based on her first book, started in Djibouti, shooting also took place in London, followed by Berlin and New York (the budget: USD 16 Mio). Producer is Oscar-winner Peter Herrmann (’Nowhere in Africa’), associate producers, apart from Waris Dirie herself, come from France, the UK, Italy and Austria. Director is New York’s Sherry Hormann. |
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