Farhiyo Farah Ibrahim

Farhiyo Farah Ibrahim is a Somali refugee who has dedicated her life to fighting for women’s rights and against female genital mutilation (FGM) and forced marriage in the Dadaab refugee camp in north-east Kenya. The isolation of this camp means exposure to the outside world is extremely limited. Life in the camps is especially harsh for women, who have traditionally played a subordinate role to men in conservative Somali society. Her most dangerous role has been as a campaigner for the elimination of female genital mutilation which is widely practiced in Somalia and other parts of Africa. At great personal risk and ostracized by her family and clan, she has resolutely advocated for condom use, distributed condoms, promoted voluntary HIV/AIDS counseling and testing, and advocated for the rights of women, girls, and refugees.