# Shamsa Araweelo (Shamso Caraweelo)

> Shamsa Araweelo: Somali-British campaigner against FGM, founder of Charity of Peace, BBC 100 Women 2023.

Source page: https://calankii.com/en/people/shamsa-araweelo/
Last checked: 2026-11-12
Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com)

## Who is she?

Shamsa Araweelo is a Somali-British activist working to end female genital mutilation (FGM) and to support survivors ([Wikipedia, Shamsa Araweelo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamsa_Araweelo)). See [female genital cutting](/en/society/female-genital-cutting/).

## Early life

She was born in Somalia and has said she underwent FGM at six, without anaesthetic ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamsa_Araweelo)). She moved to north London with her parents in 2000, aged seven (same source). She has spoken publicly about being taken to Somalia at 17 and forced into marriage, and about her return to the UK and her divorce (same source). See [Somalis in London](/en/diaspora/london/).

## Campaigning

She has called for better training of UK health workers on FGM, drawing on her own experience of seeking care ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamsa_Araweelo)). She has worked with Metropolitan Police recruits on handling FGM cases (same source). She founded Charity of Peace to help FGM survivors, and also helps British citizens facing "honour-based violence" abroad (same source).

She supports calling the practice female genital cutting (FGC), because she says the word "mutilation" can deter survivors from seeking help ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamsa_Araweelo)). In February 2023 she joined a campaign against FGM launched by London's mayor, Sadiq Khan (same source). A video she posted in April 2023 about her experience went viral (same source).

## Recognition

In November 2023 the BBC named her on its 100 Women list ([Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shamsa_Araweelo)). At the time she had more than 70 million followers on TikTok, where she posts about FGM (same source). In December 2023 she had reconstructive surgery in Germany (same source). As of February 2023 she was training as a police officer (same source).

## In short

A Somali-British campaigner against FGM with a large TikTok following, named to the BBC's 100 Women in 2023.

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