News / Education
FGM campaigner to receive honorary degree
FGM campaigner Fahma Mohamed is to receive an honorary degree before she goes to university.
The 19-year-old from Barton Hill will be one of the youngest people ever in the UK to receive the award, which will be presented at a University of Bristol’s graduation ceremony in the Wills Memorial Building on Friday.
The former City Academy pupil will start her own degree in biomedical science at Kings College London in September.
is needed now More than ever
But before then she will be joining hundreds of graduating Bristol students when she receives an honorary doctor of laws to honour her campaigning work to end female genital mutilation (FGM) and other forms of violence against women and girls.
Fahma’s parents fled Somalia and came to live in Bristol when she was seven.
Horrified by the brutal and barbaric tradition of FGM, she has led an inspired campaign by charity Integrate Bristol to raise awareness and change government policy, which even led to her being granted a private audience with UN secretary general Ban Ki-moon.
Other recipients of honorary degrees being conferred this week include former Bristol South MP Dawn Primarolo, and authors Ben Kane and David Nicholls.
Photo by Dave Betts
Read more: Fahma Mohamed: Fighting a ghost
Our top newsletters emailed directly to you
