Ubah Ali

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Ubah Ali
Ubah Ali.jpg
Born1996 (age 25–26)
Burao, Somaliland
CitizenshipSomaliland
EducationAmerican University of Beirut
Occupation Somali activist
AwardsBBC's 100 Women List

Ubah Ali (born 1996) is a social activist and feminist from Somaliland, who campaigns against female genital mutilation. In 2020 she was listed by the BBC as of the world's most influential 100 Women.

Biography[]

Ali was born in 1996 in Burco in the Toghdeer region of Somaliland.[1] Neither of her parents graduated from primary school: her father was a taxi driver until he suffered a stroke in 2012 and her mother used to sell clothes.[2] It was her mother who encouraged Ali's education and for her to apply for scholarships.[3] She studied at the Abaarso School of Science and Technology from 2011 and left there in 2015.[4] She then moved to Miss Hall's School and graduated from there in 2016.[5] As of 2019, she was studying for a BA degree in Politics and Human Rights at the American University of Beirut.[1] Her undergraduate study is funded by the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program.[2] Whilst studying there, she also tutors Syrian refugees.[4]

Activism[]

In 2015, aged 18, Ali established an organization called Rajo: Hope for Somaliland Community with the aim of providing educational opportunities for orphans and under-privileged students from Somaliland.[5] This was inspired by work she undertook at the Hargeisa Orphanage Centre, between 2012 and 2015, where she tutored students.[5] In 2015 she also fundraised for communities in Somaliland affected by drought.[4]

In 2020, Ali became more widely known due to her campaigning against female genital mutilation (FGM) in Somaliland.[1] In 2018 she founded the Solace for Somaliland Girls Foundation, which aims to end the practice through education and awareness campaigns.[1] The group established the first anti-FGM group in Somaliland as a result.[3] Whilst many Somali people associate FGM with Sharia, Ali alongside doctors and a growing number of religious leaders believe it to be a cultural phenomenon, which can be altered.[1] Ali, as well as her three sisters, are survivors of FGM.[1]

In 2020, Ubah Ali was part of the BBC’s list of the 100 most influential women in the world.[6][7]

Awards[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "UNPO: Ubah Ali, Somaliland". unpo.org. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  2. ^ a b Somaliland Sun (2018-11-05). "Somaliland: 22 Years Old Victim of FGM Ubah Ali now Fighting to End the Practice". Somaliland Sun. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  3. ^ a b c linaduque (2020-09-28). "Ubah Ali, Activist". Untold. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  4. ^ a b c d "OUR STUDENTSS". Abaarso Network. 2020-04-13. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  5. ^ a b c "Ubah Ali". The Resolution Project. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  6. ^ a b "BBC 100 Women 2020: Who is on the list this year?". BBC News. 2020-11-23. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
  7. ^ "How Nigerians Aisha Yesufu, Uyaiedu Ikpe-Etim enta BBC 100 Women list". BBC News Pidgin. Retrieved 2021-01-04.

External links[]

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