19 Facts About Leyla Hussein

Leyla Hussein is a Somali-born British psychotherapist and social activist.

Leyla Hussein is the founder of Dahlia project, one of the co-founders of the Daughters of Eve non-profit organization and a Chief Executive of Hawa's Haven.

In 2020, Hussein was elected Rector of the University of St Andrews, making her the third woman and first woman of colour to hold this position.

Leyla Hussein received significant criticism during her role as Rector of the University of St Andrews owing to her lack of involvement in the role.

Leyla Hussein worked for ten years in reproductive health after being a youth outreach worker.

Leyla Hussein worked for African Well Women Clinic in Waltham Forest where she worked closely with female genital mutilation survivors from the UK.

Additionally, Leyla Hussein is the Chief Executive of Hawa's Haven, a coalition of Somali women campaigners and community activists that aims to raise awareness on gender-based violence.

Leyla Hussein is the global ambassador for The Girl Generation, a social change communication programme aiming to end FGM in one generation, currently working in 10 African countries.

Leyla Hussein was formerly an advisor for the END FGM-European campaign supported by Amnesty International, speaking in this capacity before the Cyprus, Vienna and London legislatures.

Leyla Hussein used to sit on Naz Project London Board of Trustees.

In 2020, Leyla Hussein was elected rector of the University of St Andrews for a 3-year term.

Leyla Hussein has faced criticism from student newspaper The Saint, which reported in October 2023 that as rector she had only visited St Andrews once and failed to attend 10 of the 12 meetings of the University Court.

Leyla Hussein has spoken in various radio and television programmes including Radio World Service, BBC World, Have Your Say, Woman's Hour, Universal TV, BBC TV, Al Jazeera TV, Channel 5, CNN, ABC.

In 2013, Leyla Hussein presented The Cruel Cut, a documentary following her work on ending FGM in the UK.

The documentary and Leyla Hussein were nominated for a BAFTA in 2014.

Leyla Hussein has been invited to speak in several universities over the last years, including Cambridge, Oxford, UCL, West London University, Columbia, Banard, Georgetown, Harvard and Penn University.

Leyla Hussein's parents were educated professionals, and she came from privileged family.

Leyla Hussein has received a number of awards for her work.

Leyla Hussein was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to tackling female genital mutilation and gender inequality.