- Waris Dirie was born in 1965 in Somalia. She is an actress and writer, known for The Living Daylights (1987), Desert Flower (2009) and Samia (2024).
- Shocked the world with the bestselling book "Desert Flower," that described how she underwent genital mutilation, and was given in arranged marriage to a 61-year-old man at the age of 13. She escaped and walked for 9 days to reach an uncle's house.
- Gained international fame as a model in Chanel ads and as a Bond Girl, before launching her campaign against female genital mutilation in 1996.
- Contrary to popular belief, she is not related to supermodel Iman. In her book Desert Flower, Dirie states that Iman's mother was good friends with her aunt, a relative with whom Waris once lived during her time in London.
- We can give no more excuses for [female genital mutilation]. This is a pure crime against a child. And we are doing it ... not God or nature. (2007 U.N. press conference)
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
