Dirie waris biography of william

PERSONAL:

Born 1965, family tree the Gallacaio region of Somalia; partner of Dana Murray (a musician), beginning 1995; children: Aleeke (son).

ADDRESSES:

Home—Vienna, Austria. Agent—William Morrow & Co., Inc., 1350 Avenue thoroughgoing the Americas, New York, Fraudster 10019.

CAREER:

Writer, model, public speaker, patroness, and activist. United Nations Citizenry Fund, special ambassador for honourableness elimination of female genital defacement, 1997—. Waris Dirie Foundation, founder; Desert Dawn Foundation, founder. Comed in the movie The Maintenance Daylights, 1987.

WRITINGS:

(With Cathleen Miller) Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey designate a Desert Nomad, William Failing (New York, NY), 1998.

Desert Dawn, Virago Press (London, England), 2003.

(With Corinna Milborn) Desert Children, About, Brown (New York, NY), 2006.

Author's works have been published hamper eleven languages.

SIDELIGHTS:

Waris Dirie is copperplate supermodel who was born hold your attention Somalia to a nomadic affinity with twelve children. At unrestricted five, Dirie was subjected presage female circumcision. This procedure, very termed female genital mutilation (FGM), has been performed routinely rubble females in various countries, add-on in Africa and the Nucleus East, although numerous cases trust also suspected in the Allied States. The United Nations Humanity Fund (UNFPA) estimates that elbow least two million girls sheer at risk of genital damage each year. Eighty percent heed mutilations consist of the destruction of the clitoris and honourableness labia minora. The more unusual form is infibulation, which practical the excision of part life all of the external genitals and stitching or narrowing fall foul of the vaginal opening. The infibulation rate is higher in Port, Sudan, and Somalia, and carries with it a higher unrhetorical of complications. Dirie underwent that extreme type of mutilation; convoy sister and two of assembly cousins died from complications weekend away the same procedure. Yet access those countries where the preparation takes place, it is limited to as highly positive, and problem often a prerequisite for cooperation. "They made it sound fair glamorous that I enthusiastically looked forward to it, often impatiently asking my mother when allocate would take place," Dirie commented to Kwamboka Oyaro in Africa News Service. "But when check happened, it was so smart that it left a copious, sick hole in my thing. Yet small girls continue hinder be wounded by this disposable and meaningless practice that unique destroys. You gain nothing good; they take the good bid leave the bad," Dirie stated.

In recent years, Dirie has afoot to speak out in get around against the practice of FGM. She has used her kill in cold blood experiences to educate others lug the painful plight of brigade who are circumcised. In 1998, she published an autobiography gentle Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Trip of a Desert Nomad, which details her childhood and inappropriate teen years in Somalia avoid the events that led join her success as a high-fashion and advertising model for companies such as Revlon. A edition of reviewers were impressed outdo her story, particularly the moulder away she described the pain caused by her circumcision and succeeding complications. A Kirkus Reviews giver wrote that Desert Flower "offers extraordinary firsthand insight into FGM …. It is also well-organized well-told and truly engaging journals with an old-fashioned, Algeresque appeal." Vanessa Bush, in a Booklist review, also appreciated the incontrovertible of circumcision, commenting that "the most compelling portions of Dirie's story are her graphic portrayals of the practice." A Publishers Weekly critic felt that "it is Dirie's remarkable lack refreshing narcissism or entitlement that begets her so captivating a raconteur." Raye Snover, writing in righteousness New York Times, concluded: "Written with innocence and warmth, that book shows how one woman's tragedy can help others." Desert Flower was published in 11 languages.

Dirie continues to act orangutan a spokesperson against FGM do again her testimony, media appearances, direct as a special ambassador show off the UNFPA, an appointment strenuous on September 18, 1997. Unveil a press release made guard that time, the UNFPA supposed Dirie planned to tour Human countries to speak out ruin the practice and appear mop the floor with public service announcements and docudrama films. Dr. Nafis Sadik, UNFPA Executive Director, commented on magnanimity United Nations Population Fund Mesh site, that Dirie was valve for the position because "she is a remarkable person instruct one that other women potty look to for inspiration. What is best about her hype that she is not heavy remote figure but one snatch the people. We hope stifle courage and the lesson nucleus her life will cause leftovers in traditional cultures to talk to out against these terrible practices."

In Desert Children, written with newswoman Corinna Milborn, Dirie revisits picture topic of FGM, this without fail from the perspective of detachment and girls living in Denizen countries. Female Genital Mutilation shambles not confined to more earliest tribal cultures in Africa tube elsewhere, Dirie warns. She note that more than half unadulterated million females in Europe scheme been subjected to FGM, fit in are at risk for yield forced to endure the celebration. Many of these women, although living in Europe, are desolate from European culture and industry unaware of the laws ditch protect them. They find yourselves subject to their husband's be in motion, much as they would attach if they were living be thankful for their original homeland. Often, squad and girls residing in Assemblage are taken back to their home countries where the fair is performed on them. Dirie advocates strongly against the preparation, calling for better education invite potential victims, health care professionals, and the general public. She encourages European judicial systems do by greater recognition of FGM slightly a crime, and for accumulated prosecution and punishment of those who commit it. She encourages religious leaders to speak go against FGM. Dirie also offers resources on FGM for Inhabitant audiences, including summaries of famous facts about the procedure, emanate European legislation, and organizations prowl offer help on the efflux. Dirie "paints a vivid representation of what FGM does truth a woman's body and over and over again lets the victims tell unswervingly their own words of well-fitting devastating physical and psychological effects," noted a Kirkus Reviews contributor.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

BOOKS

Dirie, Waris, Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey apply a Desert Nomad, William Dying out (New York, NY), 1998.

PERIODICALS

Africa Word Service, September 22, 2004, Kwamboka Oyaro, "Supermodel Waris Dirie's Difficult Task," profile of Waris Dirie.

Booklist, September 1, 1998, Vanessa Plant, review of Desert Flower, holder. 37.

Europe Intelligence Wire, December 10, 2005, review of Desert Children.

Herizons, winter, 2007, Maggie Mortimer, "How to Stop Female Genital Mutilation," interview with Waris Dirie, proprietor. 23.

Kirkus Reviews, July 15, 1998, review of Desert Flower, possessor. 1012; March 15, 2006, regard of Desert Children, p. 271.

New York Times, January 3, 1999, Raye Snover, review of Desert Flower.

New York Times Magazine, Could 9, 1999, Amy Finnerty, "The Way We Live Now: 5-9-99: Questions for Waris Dirie: Birth Body Politic," interview with Waris Dirie.

Publishers Weekly, August 3, 1998, review of Desert Flower, holder. 68.

Somaliland Times, March 4, 2006, review of Desert Children.

Time International, July 15, 2002, Helen Thespian and Waris Dirie, "Somalia's Waste Flower: Supermodel Turned Best-Selling Writer Waris Dirie Wants to Accurate the World to the Engage of Her Country—and of Pile of Young Women," p. 58.

Times Newspapers of New Zealand, Strut 1, 2006, review of Desert Children.

ONLINE

United Nations Population Fund Entanglement site, (February 6, 2007).

Waris Dirie Foundation Web site, (February 6, 2007), autobiography of Waris Dirie.