Activism · Politics · Literature · 1949–2014
Born: 6 September 1949 · Died: 18 October 2014 · Age: 65
Efua Dorkenoo forced the world to talk about female genital mutilation when it was treated as untouchable. Her work as a nurse showed her the harm close up. She then turned it into research, policy and campaigns across Africa and Europe. Her approach put African women's voices at the centre of the fight. Many of today's campaigners call her the mother of the movement. Her work helped make the practice illegal in many countries. She died in 2014.
Efua Dorkenoo, OBE (6 September 1949 – 18 October 2014), affectionately known as "Mama Efua", was a Ghanaian-British campaigner against female genital mutilation (FGM) who pioneered the global movement to end the practice and worked internationally for more than 30 years to see the campaign "move from a problem…
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Profile
Ghanaian-British activist, born 1949
Efua Dorkenoo was born in Cape Coast on 6 September 1949.
She campaigned against female genital mutilation for decades.
She founded the charity FORWARD in 1983.
She was appointed OBE in 1994.
Career highlights
Did you know?She trained as a nurse and midwife in London.
Questions people ask
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