Olayinka Koso-Thomas

Olayinka Koso-Thomas (born 1937) is a Nigerian-born physician and public health advocate based in Sierra Leone, internationally recognised for her decades of work to abolish female genital mutilation (FGM) in West Africa.

Early life and education

Koso-Thomas was born in 1937 in Nigeria. She attended Cheadle Hulme School, completing her secondary education in 1954. She subsequently studied medicine at the University of Leeds and the University of California, Berkeley.

Career

Following her medical training, Koso-Thomas relocated to Sierra Leone, where she spent over 40 years working across obstetrics and gynaecology, family planning, general medical practice, birth control, and public health.

Her research focused on the health consequences of female genital cutting, particularly its role in the traditional initiation of females in parts of West Africa. She chaired the Inter-African Committee on Traditional Practices affecting the health of women and children.

Advocacy and Research on Female Circumcision Dr. Koso-Thomas gained international recognition for her work on female circumcision, also referred to as female genital mutilation (FGM). She authored the book Circumcision of Women: A Strategy for Eradication (1987), which analyse both the cultural and health impacts of FGM and strategies for its eradication in countries where the practice is prevalent.