Shamsa Araweelo channels FGM trauma into global activism, survivor support, policy reform, and frontline professional training.
Shamsa Araweelo, a Somali-British activist, was six years old when she underwent female genital mutilation (FGM) in Somalia, without anaesthesia, leaving her with enduring physical and emotional scars. The FGM was carried out by trusted individuals within her familiar surroundings, despite her mother’s opposition and in her absence. On the same day, Araweelo’s seven-year-old cousin also suffered the same ordeal.
At seven, Araweelo’s family relocated to North London, seeking a better life. Her parents, wanting to maintain strict cultural control, subjected her to physical and emotional abuse, driving young Araweelo to attempt suicide three times during her teenage years due to the weight of these experiences.
Trapped in a forced marriage
After high school, at 17, Araweelo’s mother took her to Somalia under the guise of cultural reconnection. There, her passport was confiscated, trapping her under her uncle’s control. The 17 year old was coerced into marrying her 15 year old cousin, enduring six months of physical abuse and sexual assault. Despite the isolation, Araweelo remained determined. She secretly contacted her mother and orchestrated an escape by feigning a medical emergency. Fleeing under the cover of night to Mogadishu, she found refuge with her maternal family and soon after, her brother secured her passport, enabling her return to the UK.
A bittersweet return
Araweelo’s homecoming was shadowed by the death of her mother from brain cancer, hence derailing her plans for higher education. Even more, seeking a religious divorce proved challenging, as local leaders hesitated without her husband’s involvement. Her sister, however, intervened emphasising the marriage’s coercive nature, and ultimately securing its annulment.
Then homeless and battling health complications from FGM, Araweelo sought reconstructive surgery in Germany in late 2023 to address these health conditions.
Rising as an advocate
Drawing from her personal experience, Shamsa Araweelo has since become one of the UK’s most powerful voices against female genital mutilation (FGM). The Somali-British activist uses her personal story to challenge the stigma around FGM and gender-based violence. She founded Charity of Peace, a survivor-led organisation that provides healing, education, and direct support to women who have experienced FGM and honour-based abuse. Alongside that, she launched Garden Locks, a plant-based cosmetics company, and committed 25% of its proceeds to Garden of Peace, another initiative she created to support this cause.
Shamsa Araweelo also collaborates with institutions like the Metropolitan Police, training recruits to handle such cases with cultural sensitivity and empathy. Her advocacy emphasises the need for better education among UK healthcare providers on FGC’s long-term effects, which affect over 200 million women globally, according to the World Health Organisation.
On TikTok, her educational videos have garnered over 70 million views, further dismantling the stigma around FGC. She promotes empowering language, encouraging survivors to seek help without shame or embarrassment.
In 2023, the advocate’s impact earned her a place on the BBC’s 100 Women list. In 2024, she also received the Girls’ Human Rights Award and an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Winchester for her work in human rights and survivor advocacy. She continues fighting to ensure that cases like hers are handled differently.
