Paris Report: Benefit Screening of 'Desert Flower' Highlights FGM and the Rights & Dignity of Women Globally

Waris Dirie and Liya Kebede were shining points of light at last night's charity screening of Desert Flower, the 2009 film adaptation of Dirie’s personal journey and autobiography. Hosted by PPR chief François-Henri Pinault’s Foundation for the Dignity and the Rights of Women during high-profile Paris Fashion Week, the benefit was a timely effort to draw attention to the tragedies and indignities associated with female genital mutilation, FGM.


The movie charts Dirie’s journey from nomadic goat herder in Somalia to international model and campaigner against female genital mutilation. The benefit screening on March 7th in Paris was to raise funds that would be entirely donated to the French NGO Équilibres & Populations. This financing will help the association pursue its “Pilot Project for the Elimination of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in the Health District of Kayes, Mali”, involving among others, the immigrant communities from this region now residing in France.


*Read more about Desert Flower and the Waris Dirie Foundation here.

"Violence against women is perhaps the most shameful human rights violation. It knows no boundaries of geography, culture or wealth. As long as it continues, we cannot claim to be making real progress towards equality, development and peace." - Kofi Ann

via WWD