Leila Abukar

Leila Abukar (, ) is a Somali-Australian political activist.

Personal life Abukar was born between 1974 and 1975 in Somalia. She attended a private school in Mogadishu.

When the civil war broke out in 1991, her father and eldest brother were killed by militants. Abukar's mother subsequently took the family to a UN asylum center in Kenya. The teenager therein volunteered as an office interpreter, teaching children and raising awareness on reproductive health.

Abukar is Muslim. She is multilingual, speaking seven languages. she and her family reside in the Brisbane suburb of Yeerongpilly.

In 2014–2015, Abukar ran for office as the Liberal National Party of Queensland candidate for the Yeerongpilly electoral district. She vied for the seat in a field of four other aspirants. If elected, she would have become the first Somali and Muslim to serve in the Queensland Parliament. Abukar came in second place, earning 31.4% of the total vote in the first round run-off and 36.7% in the final round against the eventual winner Mark Bailey of the Australian Labor Party.