She was a First.
Waris Dirie, a stunning Somalian nomad who eventually walked the runways of the world and scored ad campaigns with Chanel, Levi’s, L’Oreal, and Revlon, was the first in her family to be a model and actress, to write an international bestselling memoir, to have her life made into a movie. The WIE Symposium invited us to an advance screening of that movie — Desert Flower, starring top model Liya Kebede — last night at the MoMa in NYC, when we learned what Waris’ true distinction is: she is the first to publically speak out about female genital mutilation (FGM), a horrifying practice that 130 million of the world’s women and girls experience, including herself.
Waris spoke for the first time with Laura Ziv of Marie Claire about the FGM she had undergone at age 3, a scene that is heartwrenchingly portrayed at the end of the film. The magazine had wanted to tell her story of working her way up from a McDonalds, but Waris didn’t want people to just scratch the surface of her rags-to-riches life.
Girls who don’t undergo the practice of having their genitals cut out and sewn up, only to be taken apart but their husband on their wedding night, are ostracized from their society and, among many other misfortunes, miss the opportunity to go to school. You can’t watch this film without crying, but ultimately you will be uplifted by scenes of Waris’ growth and be empowered to use your platforms of style for messages of substance.
We plan to read Waris Dirie’s memoir next, and we highly recommend that in February 2011, you go with a group of friends who may be used to seeing present-day supermodel Liya Kebede in all the fashion magazines, and watch her take on a remarkable debut acting role, honorably portraying Waris in Desert Flower.
