Shamsa Araweelo

Shamsa Arraweelo is a Somali-British activist who aims to end the practice of female genital mutilation (FGM) and support survivors of the practice.

Early life Araweelo was born in Somalia, where she underwent FGM at age 6, without any anesthesia or pain relief. Although her mother was opposed to FGM, she was not in the country at the time, and Araweelo's relatives decided to pursue it. Araweelo has said she does not resent her relatives, saying that they were ignorant of the harmful effects of the practice. She has said she was physically and emotionally abused growing up, as her parents wanted to control her behavior. In April 2023, Araweelo posted a video online talking about her experience with FGM, which went viral.

As of February 2023, Araweelo was working as a trainee police officer.