Somali model, author, actress, and activist (born 1965)

Waris Dirie

Waris Dirie is a Somali model, author, actress and human rights activist in the fight against female genital mutilation (FGM).

By globalcelebwiki Auto-import · Published 16 October 2026

Profession
Somali model, author, actress, and activist (born 1965)
Born
1965-10-21
Portrait of Waris Dirie
Photo: Desert Flower Foundation / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

Overview

Waris Dirie is a Somali model, author, actress and human rights activist in the fight against female genital mutilation (FGM). From 1997 to 2003, she was a UN special ambassador against FGM. In 2002 she founded her own organization in Vienna, the Desert Flower Foundation. She has won numerous awards recognizing her work on eradicating FGM, including the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (2007).

Sources and references

Spotted something wrong? Report a correction.

Related profiles

Russian model and ballerina (1891–1955)

Olha Khokhlova

Olga Picasso was a Russian ballet dancer in the Ballets Russes, directed by Sergei Diaghilev and based in Paris.

Read biography ↗

American actress (born 1984)

Natalie Kuckenburg

Torrey Joël DeVitto is an American actress, singer-songwriter, and former fashion model.

Read biography ↗