From a child bride who was circumcised at five to woman of the year: Extraordinary story of Somalian supermodel who starred in James Bond film

  • Waris Dirie has starred in Chanel campaigns and a James Bond movie
  • In 1997 revealed she was subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM) as a child
  • Has since campaigned tirelessly against the procedure
  • Recently opened medical centre in Berlin that offers reconstructive surgery
  • Efforts recognised with Women of the Year Campaigning Award

By Bianca London

PUBLISHED: 10:26 EST, 16 October 2013 | UPDATED: 13:35 EST, 16 October 2013

Waris Dirie with her Sacla Women of the Year Campaign Award, after the ceremony at the InterContinental Hotel, central London.

Waris Dirie with her Sacla Women of the Year Campaign Award, after the ceremony at the InterContinental Hotel, central London.

She has fronted campaigns for Chanel and Revlon and even starred in a James Bond movie.

But Waris Dirie really caught the world’s attention in 1997 when she opened up about her horrific female genital mutilation (FGM) ordeal.

She has since campaigned tirelessly against the practice and now her efforts have been recognised in the form of a Woman of the Year Campaigning award.

Waris, now 48 and living in Poland with her four children, was just five years old when she was subjected to FGM in her home country of Somalia.

She was then forced into marrying a 60-year-old man when she was just thirteen, a threat which left her no choice but to flee to Mogadish, where she had family.

She later moved to London to live with relatives and worked in a local McDonald's before getting her big break when she was scouted by a fashion photographer in the 1990s.

Her career as a supermodel went from strength to strength and she starred in Chanel campaigns and even made a cameo appearance in James Bond movie, The Living Daylights.

But her life was fickle. ‘I thought, “This is b*****t, fake. I couldn’t sleep one more night knowing the truth about what was happening to girls,’ she told The Guardian. And that’s when she decided to speak up.

In a candid interview with Marie Claire at the height of her fame in 1997, Waris revealed her dark past whereby she was subjected to FGM and left to recover in a makeshift shelter under a tree for several days. She has since set about saving other young girls from enduring what she suffered.

She has since been appointed a UN special ambassador and set up her own charity, Desert Flower Foundation, to help protect girls against the practice, which involves partial or total removal of the external female genitalia for non-medical reasons.

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Waris Dirie really caught the world's attention in 1997 when she opened up about her horrific female genital mutilation (FGM) ordeal. She has since campaigned tirelessly against the practice and now her efforts have been recognised

Waris Dirie really caught the world's attention in 1997 when she opened up about her horrific female genital mutilation (FGM) ordeal.

The practice – which many believe leaves a girl ‘clean’ in preparation for her marriage - usually happens before girls reach the age of fifteen but can be performed on babies at birth too. It causes intense pain, risk of infection and can even lead to fatal childbirth later in life.

 

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Despite being illegal in the UK, FGM is on the rise with an estimated 66,000 women dealing with the after-effects and more than 20,000 young girls thought to be at risk.

Worldwide, more than three million women have been subjected to FGM, many of whom come from East African countries such as Uganda, Kenya and Somalia.

A collection of knives, blades and amulet used for female circumcision in Kenya's Pokot district
Nine-year old Fay Mohammed, recovers from an operation in Mogadishu, Somalia, in 2004.

Rudimentary tools are often used to perform the operations, like these found in Kenya (pictured left). The procedure is often performed on young girls like nine-year-old Fay Mohammed (pictured right).

Those countries, many of which are part of the Commonwealth, are at the heart of Britain's FGM problem, and as a result, the majority of British women to suffer FGM are part of the UK's 600,000-strong ethnic African community.

When people fled from Al Shabab in Somalia or Idi Amin in Uganda, many came to the UK - bringing with them local traditions, including FGM.

Despite being illegal in the UK, FGM is on the rise with an estimated 66,000 women dealing with the after-effects and more than 20,000 young girls thought to be at risk

But East Africa isn't the only place where the practice is widespread. Women in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Yemen and others are also highly likely to be forced to undergo FGM.

‘If a white man or woman saw a white child that is mutilated, there would be screaming. I guarantee it would end. This is abuse against a child, so to say it’s to do with your religion or race, it’s all wrong. This is about child protection,' said Waris.

Waris wants the issue to be debated on TV, in the media and by politicians and maintains that, by having it out in the open, we can fight it.

Her campaign work is endless. Last month she opened the first medical centre in Berlin that will offer FGM sufferers reconstructive surgery and she hopes to roll this initiative out to Kenya, Ethiopia, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Hometown: Women carry their malnourished children as they queue at a mobile medical facility at the Hiran IDP settlement in Galkayo, northwest of Somalia's capital Mogadishu, where Waris grew up

Hometown: Women carry their malnourished children as they queue at a mobile medical facility at the Hiran IDP settlement in Galkayo, northwest of Somalia's capital Mogadishu, where Waris grew up

Campaigner: Waris, pictured holding the trophy of the German Africa Award of the German Africa-Foundation, which she received during a ceremony in Trossingen in 2000, wants to put an end to FGM
Waris Dirie set up her own charity. Desert Flower

Campaigner: Waris, pictured holding the trophy of the German Africa Award of the German Africa-Foundation, which she received during a ceremony in Trossingen in 2000, wants to put an end to FGM and (R) in a modelling shoot

Waris, a five times bestselling author who writes on the topic of FGM, said she was 'honoured' to receive her Women of the Year Campaigning Award this week.

Baroness Helena Kennedy QC, president of Women of the Year, said: 'Waris is a very worthy recipient of this Women of the Year award. Her astonishing bravery and commitment to this cause has  brought this horrific crime against girls and women to the world’s attention.

'She provides hope and inspiration to victims that one day this abhorrent practice will be eradicated.'

'I can't turn back, not now I'm almost there. You just have to keep going until one day it will come to an end,' added Waris.

Scouted: Somalian supermodel Waris Dirie was working in McDonald's in London when she was first spotted by a fashion photographer

Scouted: Somalian supermodel Waris Dirie was working in McDonald's in London when she was first spotted by a fashion photographer

 

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I dont want to undermine the absolute horror that female genital mutilation must be but putting any children through these horrendous ordeals in the name of a completely fictional god is unacceptable in this day and age.

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A worthy recipient of this award, a brave beautiful woman

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God bless her

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You are a small minded useless idiot.

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Genital mutilation is not gender specific. As long as it is viewed that way it will never end.

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Are you referring to male circumcision? I'm sorry but that in NOT the same thing in any way.

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Genital mutilation is not gender specific. It will never end as long as it is viewed that way.

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And if you campaign against male genital mutilation (MGM), it ironically falls upon deaf ears and women in particular become hostile! What a contrast! Why did Waris Dirie not mention that Ethiopian boys are subjected to MGM for non-medical reasons? Do they not matter? Maybe the British press could get their priorities right, by concentrating on why male genital mutilation is still legal in the UK?

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It's not the same thing at all. Do you have any idea what is involved in FGM? It is absolutely horrific, look into the specifics of it before you make ridiculous comments like this. Boys who are circumcised have their foreskin removed, they can still have and enjoy sex. What they do to girls is far more extreme, far more dangerous and has a huge effect on their enjoyment of sex (and as mentioned in this article can even lead to fatalities during childbirth)

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Neither male nor female genital mutilation should be allowed in the UK. However, there is a great difference between the degree of mutilation. Unfortunately women still perform FGM on their daughters, cultural pressures being so strong. Ditto MGM. But do you hear of any men from these cultures supporting the ending of this mutilation in either sex?

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Triumph over adversity... I enjoy reading about things like this, (not the FGM part) it makes me feel as though there is hope after all!

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She is so beautiful. FGM is a barbaric practice. I'm assuming it prevents women from feeling sexual pleasure, which is so very sad. Circumcision does not prevent sexual pleasure in men, so FGM is much worse. It would be nice to see this practice come to an end.

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what an incredible woman

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