Jaha Dukureh delivers a speech at an earlier event. Photo credit: Time
Jaha Dukureh, a renowned Gambian women’s right activist and anti-female genital mutilation (FGM) crusader, was the next African to appear on the list. The 27-year-old feminist is the founder and executive director of Safe Hands for Girls, a non-profit organization working to end FGM in the Gambia.
She is also the lead campaigner in the Guardian’s “End FGM Guardian Global Media Campaign.” The young activist suffered Type III FGM when she was only 1 week old and later became a victim of forced marriage at the age of 15.
Dukureh holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Georgia Southwestern State University and acquired American citizenship in late 2015.
