The Cruel Cut

Leyla Hussein

2017 OFF in Oslo

Dr. Leyla Hussein is a psychotherapist specializing in supporting survivors of sexual abuse. Every 11 seconds, a girl undergoes female genital mutilation (FGM). Hussein is an anti-FGM campaigner and a survivor who shares her personal experience with the goal of protecting girls from this abusive practice. She takes the stage at the 2017 Oslo Freedom Forum to remind us that FGM is a practice of oppressing women and controlling women’s sexuality. It is not an African issue; it is not an Asian issue; it is a global issue that requires a global investment in women.

About the Speaker

Leyla

Hussein

British-Somali anti-FGM activist and Psychotherapist

Leyla Hussein is a survivor of Female Genital Mutilation and an anti-FGM campaigner. Originally from Somalia, Leyla worked as a psychotherapist in the UK and addresses the prevalence of FGM around the world. To tackle this issue, Leyla founded the Dahlia’s Project, a therapy service for survivors of FGM. In 2020, she co-founded the platform Safe Spaces For Black Women to provide support to Black women globally.