You probably haven’t heard of Ifrah Ahmed. Well, if you have, you know how much change she is steering in Africa and beyond. If you haven’t, sit still.
Ifrah Ahmed was born in Mogadishu in 1987; she escaped to Ireland during a war that raged between Ethiopia and Somali to seek asylum. As a refugee in Ireland, she underwent a clinical checkup that revealed that she was a victim of Female Genital Mutilation; a cut that she had when she was just 8 years of age.
She stayed in Ireland for some years, before returning back to Somalia to put an end to Female Genital Mutilation which she had learnt in Ireland that the cut was of no clinical aid to women but instead caused gnashing of teeth and suffering.
“It is not easy sharing your story to the world, but if it helps women to realize this cutting is bad, then it is something we should talk about,” said Ifrah at one time.
Ifrah Ahmed – The Voice behind the rights of Women in Somalia.
Female Genital Mutilation.
Female Genital Mutilation dates back to 400 years ago. African, Asian and other American societies conduct this practice. While it is of no clinical help, it still is deep among many societies. It involves cutting part of the female’s reproductive part. This practice puts the life of women who take it on the verge of very serious consequences or even death. It is probable that the objects used to conduct this habit are not well sterilized, sharing them can lead to infectious diseases, if not, victims have been reported of bleeding to death.
How Ifrah Ahmed is fighting to ensure FGM goes away for good.
Ifrah Ahmed started a good thing. And good things must stay afloat. Think about it, FGM happens, and the girls it happens to are our sisters. Communities that practice this habit argue that this is their culture, it has been there for eons.
In 2010, Ifrah set up her foundation, “The Ifrah Ahmed foundation.” She started it to advocate against Gender Based Violence with FGM as her key area.
The Foundation works closely with local and international media to create awareness, educate, arrest and prosecute FGM perpetrators. Her good work has been felt not only in Somali but also internationally.
The Ifrah Foundation has partnered with Non Governmental Organizations, The World Health Organization, UNICEF, UNFPA, Law firms and several other bodies who share vision of ending FGM to stop it.
Ifrah Ahmed remains one great Somali woman whose work is commendable and adorable. FGM has to end, FGM Must end. Truth be told, there are still many societies and parents who put their daughters on the verge of being cut.
Ifrah tells them this practice has no health benefits. Instead, it causes so much agony and pain. There are several side effects that result from this act.
The effects of FGM include: Pain during intercourse, reduced sexual satisfaction complications during child birth, anaemia, reduced sexual desire, keloid scar formation and an increased risk of HIV.
3 Quotes of Ifrah Ahmed.
1. What is done is done, what is gone is gone. One of this life’s greatest lessons is always to move on. It is okay to look back to see how far you’ve come but keep moving forward.
2. The More you believe in yourself, the more you can trust yourself. The more you trust yourself, the less you compare yourself to others.
3. Be the voice, not the victim
Ifrah Ahmed has served in many positions both in governments and non governmental organizations. She served as the Chief Gender Advisor to the Prime Minister of Somalia. She has also worked with UNICEF, the Irish Refugee Council and Amnesty International.
Ifrah won the International Person of The Year Awards in 2018 due to her efforts and good work in fighting FGM and Gender based Violence.