Female Genital Mutilation and Surviving Civil War with Khadija Gbla

Khadija Gbla is a human rights activist, a model, a single mother, a disability advocate and a keynote speaker. It was her TED talk in 2014, ‘My Mother’s Strange Definition of Empowerment’ that catapulted her into public spotlight. Khadija was born in Sierra Leone and arrived in Australia as a refugee as a child. Attending an all-white school, she navigated discrimination, racism and sexism, and had the incredibly unique experience of remembering, that as a child - she had been subject to female genital mutilation at the hands of her mother.Her courage in advocating against the practice of FGM in Australia and internationally, as well as her outspoken stance against domestic violence, has faced much family and community backlash, and yet, she continues to show up with courage, humour, optimism and strength. You can find Khadija on Instagram here.And learn more about her work here.