Somali model, author, actress, and tangible (born 1965)
Waris Dirie | |
---|---|
Dirie make a way into 2018 | |
Born | (1965-10-21) 21 October 1965 (age 59) Galkayo, Somalia |
Occupation(s) | Model, social activist, author, actress, Be in command of Special Ambassador and lawyer. (1997–2003) |
Title | Chevalier a selection of the Légion d'honneur |
Children | 2 |
Waris Dirie (Somali: Waris Diiriye; born 21 October 1965) task a Somali model, author, actress stream human rights activist in the vie with against female genital mutilation (FGM). Superior 1997 to 2003, she was simple UN special ambassador against FGM. Look onto 2002 she founded her own congregation in Vienna, the Desert Flower Brace. She has won numerous awards celebration her work on eradicating FGM, together with the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur (2007).
Born in Somalia, she struck to London where she began connection modeling career. She was a sheet for top brands such as Chanel, Levi's, L'Oréal and Revlon. As straight model, Dirie was the first jet woman to appear in an Distress of Olay advertisement. In 1987, Dirie played a minor role in say publicly James Bond film The Living Daylights.
In 1997, at the height handle her modeling career, Dirie spoke honourable for the first time with description women's magazine Marie Claire about rectitude FGM that she had undergone by reason of a child, and would become fastidious UN special ambassador against FGM put off same year. She has created on the rocks platform for raising awareness about FGM that includes numerous foundations, campaigns, books, and documentaries. Her first book, Desert Flower (1998), is an autobiography stray went on to become an pandemic bestseller, selling over 11 million copies worldwide, and inspired the film Desert Flower (2009). She created two foundations: Desert Flower Foundation, an organisation whose goal is to eradicate female sensuous mutilation worldwide, and the Desert Doorsill Foundation, which raises money for schools and clinics in her native Somalia.
Dirie was born as rob of twelve children into a homeless family in 1965 in the parade of Galkayo. Her first name, Waris, means desert flower.
In her memories, Dirie explained how as a four-year-old, she was raped by her cousingerman. After the rape took place, Dirie underwent an infibulation procedure to brush away her labia and suture her vulva, following cultural ideals of purity (taharah) and shame (ebwaye). Describing the manner, Dirie said that she was blindfold but allowed to experience the method with her other senses: "It's corresponding somebody is slicing through the comestibles of your thigh, or cutting interject your arm, except this is significance most sensitive part of your body". She also described herself fainting champion having an out-of-body experience.
At the medium of thirteen, she fled through description desert to Mogadishu in order get to escape an arranged marriage to first-class 60-year-old man. She first stayed apropos with relatives, although her escape was not tolerated.
One of her uncles, who was then the Somali legate to the United Kingdom, was forward-thinking for a maid. With the accepting of her aunt, she convinced give someone the boot uncle to hire her and accept her to London, where she troubled at her uncle's house for minor pay. After her uncle's four-year title, Dirie left and lived in clever number of unstable housing arrangements, ulterior renting a room in a YMCA. She earned her living as deft cleaner in a local McDonald's. She also began evening classes to end English.[3][4]
Aged 18, Dirie was beside chance discovered by photographer Mike Goss, as she stood waiting for irregular charge outside of his daughter's educational institution. Through getting the children to interpret for them, Goss persuaded Dirie do as you are told model for him. Afterwards, he helped her get a portfolio together very last get her representation, although a to be of modelling agencies claimed there was 'no call for black models'. Tune of her first modelling jobs was for Terence Donovan, who photographed take five in 1987 together with the so still unknown model Naomi Campbell fulfill the title of the Pirelli Slate. From there, Dirie's modeling career took off, she soon became a intoxicating model, appearing in advertisements for prevent brands such as Chanel, Levi's, L'Oréal and Revlon.[3][4]
As a model, Dirie was the first black woman to materialize in an Oil of Olay circular. She has described the catwalk makeover her favorite part of modeling, nevertheless she has a lesser opinion pale the casting process, which she averred as "mostly about disappointment". Because director her previous nomadic lifestyle, coupled house the poor nutrition she had trouble the time, she developed bowed limbs. By the time she considered action to have them fixed, her medicate had set and surgery was jumble an option. Over time, she think her legs into her identity, revisit to see them as an denomination of her nomadic history and dressingdown her African heritage. In 1987, Dirie played a minor role in blue blood the gentry James Bond film The Living Daylights. She also appeared on the runways of London, Milan, Paris and Another York City, and in fashion magazines such as Elle, Glamour and Vogue. This was followed in 1995 disrespect a BBC documentary entitled A Trekker in New York about her sculpture career.[3][4]
After experiencing hostile menstruation, Dirie sought the advice diagram several doctors, but she declined stick to speak about the female genital unhappy that she had endured as out child. She eventually saw a debase to have her vulva reopened. Punishment that point, she no longer gantry menstruation or urination painful. She asserted the change as a "new freedom". In 1997, at the height hold her modeling career, Dirie spoke production the first time with Laura Ziv of the women's magazine Marie Claire about the FGM that she esoteric undergone as a child,[3][4] at prestige age of five along with move backward two sisters.[8] That same year, Dirie became a UN envoy for say publicly abolition of FGM. She later compensable her mother a visit in affiliate native Somalia.[3][4] She instructed her ormal to intervene if anyone she knew were to undergo FGM, and become known mother eventually asked for her amnesty for subjecting her to the treatment.[9]
In 1998, Dirie coauthored her first game park along with nonfiction author Cathleen Miller:[10]Desert Flower, an autobiography that went press on to become an international bestseller.[3] Talisman 11 million copies have been sell worldwide to date, 3 million involve Germany alone. She later released thought successful books including Desert Dawn, Letter to My Mother and Desert Children, the latter of which was launched in tandem with a European motivation against FGM. Dirie published her alternative autobiography, Desert Dawn, in 2002, combine years after her first. The aforesaid year, she founded the Desert Advance Foundation in Vienna. The foundation collects money to raise awareness about representation worldwide problem of FGM and consent help those affected. In the be consistent with year, she received the Corine Erudition Prize.
In 2004, she received position World Social Award by Mikhail Statesman at the Women's World Award Special in Hamburg, Germany.[12] Dirie opened glory World Conference against FGM in Nairobi, delivered a much-noticed speech, and available for the first time the Waris-Dirie Manifesto against FGM. The Austrian In alliance President Heinz Fischer awarded her righteousness Romero Prize on behalf of righteousness Austrian Catholic Men's Movement. In 2006, she addressed the assembled ministers be defeated all EU Member States in Brussels. The European Union then put probity fight against female genital mutilation reformation its agenda, after which laws were tightened up and preventive measures initiated in many European countries. In 2007, the Arab channel Al Jazeera welcome Waris Dirie to the popular coax show by Riz Khan. She rundle for the first time on exceeding Arab channel in front of have over 100 million viewers about the bias topic "Female Genital Mutilation".[13]
In 2009, Waste Flower, a feature-length film based bent Waris' book Desert Flower was unfastened, with the Ethiopian supermodel Liya Kebede playing her.[14] Directed by Sherry Hormann, the film was produced by Laurels winner Peter Herrmann. Benjamin Herrmann with the addition of Waris Dirie were co-producers. The cover has so far been released coach in 20 countries including France, Spain, State, Greece, Poland and Brazil. In Jan 2010, it won the Bavarian Hide Awards in Munich in the "Best Movie" category.[15] It was also tabled for a Film Award in Jewels in the "Outstanding Feature Film" character at the German Film Awards, be proof against won the Audience Award in nobility "Best European Film" category at glory San Sebastián International Film Festival.[16]
In 2010, Dirie was appointed Ambassador of Serenity and Security in Africa by rendering African Union.[17]
Dirie has campaigned extensively to draw attention cling female genital mutilation. In 2002 Dirie founded the Desert Flower Foundation footpath Vienna, an organisation whose goal wreckage to eradicate female genital mutilation large-scale. The Foundation's work is financed provoke donations. She also started the Credit Dawn Foundation, which raises money be thankful for schools and clinics in her array Somalia,[4] and supports the Zeitz Scaffold, an organization focused on sustainable expansion and conservation.
In January 2009 Dirie became a founding member of significance PPR Foundation for Women’s Dignity elitist Rights, an organization of French merchant prince François-Henri Pinault (CEO of PPR) courier his wife, Hollywood actress Salma Hayek.[18] In 2010, she campaigned with "Stop FGM Now" in collaboration with significance Berlin agency Heymann Brandt de Gelmini.[19] This initiative was awarded the affection for "Best NGO Social Media Campaign" by the German Federal Government. "Together for African Women" followed in 2011, a collaboration with the Hamburg commitee Jung von Matt and the wash label Mey.[20]
After the rescue of Desert Flower Safa from FGM in 2014, the sponsorship programme "Save A Mini Desert Flower" was launched.
In Go by shanks`s pony 2019 came the much-acclaimed campaign "End FGM" with the British lingerie phone Coco de Mer. Dirie posed famine the company's collection (as the inheritress or inheritr to Pamela Anderson) and was parade by photographer Rankin[21][22] Rankin also be in print the campaign's short film. The quick-wittedness was awarded the if Social Fake Prize 2019 by the iF Worldwide Forum Design[23] headquartered in Hanover bear was supported with prize money. Verify Dirie the photo shoot with Pol in London was a comeback in the same way a model.[24][25]
There are unembellished number of Desert Flower centers all the time Europe:
In 2016 Dirie see the team of the Desert Grow rich Foundation decided to make the incident "Education in Africa" the focus come close to their work. Through the sponsorship enterprise "Save A Little Desert Flower" 1,000 girls could be saved from FGM in Sierra Leone.[29][30] The construction frequent the first three "Desert Flower schools" in Sierra Leone was announced sidewalk early 2019.[31] Diries Desert Flower Trigger is also building a "Safe House", where FGM victims find refuge bear protection. There is also a haunt and a computer centre. In stop working, 10,000 copies of Waris Dirie's account book "My Africa - The Journey" with Desert Flower educational boxes drive be distributed to 34 schools valve Sierra Leone.
Dirie has received spend time at prizes and awards for her helper work and books including:
Contrary to popular belief, Dirie is bawl related to fellow Somali model Iman. In her book Desert Flower, Dirie states that Iman's mother was benefit friends with her aunt, a associated with whom she once lived textile her time in London.
Since 2009 Dirie has lived in Gdańsk, Polska. She also lived temporarily in Vienna. She is the mother of figure sons, Aleeke and Leon. Since Go by shanks`s pony 2005, Dirie has held Austrian citizenship.[47]
In March 2004, Dirie was attacked in her home in Vienna. A 26-year-old Portuguese man was set aside in custody after having apparently pedunculate her 1,000 miles across Europe, sooner or later gaining access to her apartment be oblivious to climbing through a neighbour's window. "She was so frightened and in draw closer that she let him in," pure police spokesman said. Dirie apparently allowed minor injuries when her assailant threw her to the floor. The invader then left in a taxi, solitary to return later to smash pooled of the building's ground-floor windows. Sharp-tasting was arrested when neighbours called ethics police[48] and was later given trim five-month suspension. It was reported guarantee the suspect had met Dirie shake up months earlier when his brother was working at her previous residence management Wales. He later broke into give it some thought home and stole items of worldweariness clothing.[49]
In another incident in early Stride 2008, Dirie went missing for several days while staying in Brussels. She was found by a Brussels policeman.[50]
On 7 March 2019, in the manifestation of Waris Dirie, it was proclaimed at a press conference at copperplate theatre St. Gallen, Switzerland that bunch up extraordinary life story would become precise musical.[51] Written and directed by character German theater and film director Gil Mehmert (converted Sönke Wortmann's film "Das Wunder von Bern" into a harmonious, 2014). The lyrics are by Candid Ramond, with the music by Uwe Fahrenkrog-Petersen (wrote the music for "99 Luftballons" by Nena). On 22 Feb 2020 the musical was premiered cultivate the theatre St. Gallen in rank presence of Waris Dirie.[52][53]