Khadija Gbla (born 1988) is an Australian feminist and human rights activist She works as a cultural consultant, a keynote speaker and an anti-
female genital mutilation
Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision, is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice is found ...
(FGM) campaigner, based in
South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
. She founded the advocacy organisation No FGM Australia, which works to stamp out the practice.
Personal life
Gbla was born in
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone,)]. officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered by Liberia to the southeast and Guinea surrounds the northern half of the nation. Covering a total area of , Sierra ...
around 1988. When she was three years old,
in 1991 her family moved to
the Gambia
The Gambia,, ff, Gammbi, ar, غامبيا officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. It is the smallest country within mainland AfricaHoare, Ben. (2002) ''The Kingfisher A-Z Encyclopedia'', Kingfisher Publicatio ...
and later to Australia, for safety reasons, where they were granted refugee status in 2001, when Gbla was 13 years old.
Female genital mutilation
Female genital mutilation (FGM), also known as female genital cutting, female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) and female circumcision, is the ritual cutting or removal of some or all of the external female genitalia. The practice is found ...
(FGM) was performed on Gbla by an old woman in the Gambia when she was nine, removing her
clitoris
The clitoris ( or ) is a female sex organ present in mammals, ostriches and a limited number of other animals. In humans, the visible portion – the glans – is at the front junction of the labia minora (inner lips), above the ope ...
and
labia minora
The labia minora (Latin for 'smaller lips', singular: ''labium minus'', 'smaller lip'), also known as the inner labia, inner lips, vaginal lips or nymphae are two flaps of skin on either side of the human vaginal opening in the vulva, situated be ...
.
[ She did not understand it at the time. The FGM was performed with a rusty knife on the unsterile floor of a hut,][ in the name of "purity".][ It left her with scarring complications, chronic pain and stress.][ It was only after arriving in Australia, aged 13, that Gbla realised that what happened to her was "not okay".][
]
Career
Gbla volunteered for a charity in South Australia
South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...
called Women's Health Statewide, which is when she realised that she was a victim of FGM. She helped educate doctors, police officers and the community about FGM and continues to work to abolish FGM in Australia. She founded the charity No FGM Australia to provide healthcare and educational support for women and girls. It provides cultural competency training for medical professionals and social workers
Social work is an academic discipline and practice-based profession concerned with meeting the basic needs of individuals, families, groups, communities, and society as a whole to enhance their individual and collective well-being. Social work ...
.[
Working as a peer educator for the charity, she helps others to understand what FGM is, where it happens and the cultural beliefs that surround it. She has advised the ]South Australian Government
The Government of South Australia, also referred to as the South Australian Government, SA Government or more formally, His Majesty’s Government, is the Australian state democratic administrative authority of South Australia. It is modelled o ...
Minister's Youth Council on organising camps and activities for newly-arrived refugees and has raised awareness about sexual
Sex is the biological distinction of an organism between male and female.
Sex or SEX may also refer to:
Biology and behaviour
*Animal sexual behaviour
**Copulation (zoology)
**Human sexual activity
**Non-penetrative sex, or sexual outercourse
** ...
and mental health
Mental health encompasses emotional, psychological, and social well-being, influencing cognition, perception, and behavior. It likewise determines how an individual handles stress, interpersonal relationships, and decision-making. Mental health ...
issues among her peers. She represented Australia in the international arena at the Harvard National Model United Nations
The Harvard International Relations Council (HIRC) is a non-profit organization that seeks to promote awareness of international relations based out of Harvard University. As several semi-independent but centrally funded programs, the IRC focus ...
and the Commonwealth Youth Forum of Australian and Africa Dialogue, and she speaks at many events.
Gbla has said "FGM impacts you at every stage of your life; every woman has her own shame and isolation in her experience. I want people to know how terrible this is, what a violation of women and girl rights. There is so much education that needs to be done. It’s up to us to end this human rights violation."
The Khadija Gbla Cultural consultancy offers cultural awareness training and facilitation to government agencies, for non-profit organisation
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
s and individuals, as well as advocacy and mentoring. She has spoken at multiple TEDx
TED Conferences, LLC (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is an American-Canadian non-profit media organization that posts international talks online for free distribution under the slogan "ideas worth spreading". TED was founded by Richard Sau ...
events.
Gbla is an ambassador for Our Watch
Our Watch, formerly Foundation to Prevent Violence Against Women and their Children, is an Australian organisation that exists to help prevent violence against women and their children. Founded in mid-2013 with Natasha Stott Despoja as founding ...
, an organisation established to change attitudes of violence towards women and their children,[ and director of Reacher's Philanthropy - Committed to Women's and Girl's Self Empowerment.]
Recognition
Her work has been honoured many times:
* 2016 ''The Australian Women's Weekly
''The Australian Women's Weekly'', sometimes known as simply ''The Weekly'', is an Australian monthly women's magazine published by Mercury Capital in Sydney. For many years it was the number one magazine in Australia before being outsold by ...
'' and Qantas
Qantas Airways Limited ( ) is the flag carrier of Australia and the country's largest airline by fleet size, international flights, and international destinations. It is the world's third-oldest airline still in operation, having been founded ...
Women of the Future finalist
* 2014 '' The Advertisers 50 most influential Women
* 2013 ''Madison Magazine Australia'''s top 100 inspiring women
* 2013 Amnesty International
Amnesty International (also referred to as Amnesty or AI) is an international non-governmental organization focused on human rights, with its headquarters in the United Kingdom. The organization says it has more than ten million members and sup ...
Human Rights Activists to watch out for in 2013
* 2011 State finalist, Young Australian of the Year
The Australian of the Year is a national award conferred on an Australian citizen by the National Australia Day Council, a not-for-profit Australian Governmentowned social enterprise. Similar awards are also conferred at the State and Territ ...
References
External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gbla, Khadija
Living people
Australian human rights activists
Women human rights activists
Year of birth missing (living people)
Sierra Leonean women activists
Sierra Leonean activists
Activists against female genital mutilation
Violence against women in the Gambia