We need to empower women: provide them with work for their own income, and teach them to become independent of men so they will never have to have their children suffering the same torture. Waris Dirie More Quotes by Waris Dirie More Quotes From Waris Dirie Women’s loyalty has to be earned with trust and affection, rather than barbaric rituals. The time has come to leave the old ways of suffering behind Waris Dirie trust loyalty relationship Female genital mutilation targets little girls, baby girls - fragile angels who are helpless, who cannot fight back. It's a crime against a child, a crime against humanity. It's abuse. It's absolutely criminal and we have to stop it. Waris Dirie girl baby children My mother named me after a miracle of nature: Waris means desert flower. The desert flower blooms in a barren environment where few living things can survive. Waris Dirie flower mother mean Give love and share happiness with the people around you, and never give up fighting for what you believe in. Waris Dirie giving-up fighting believe Because women and girls are not valued equally as human beings, they are treated as less than such. Female genital mutilation is one example of this that has to be stopped. Waris Dirie female girl example Mama tied a blindfold over my eyes. The next thing I felt my flesh was being cut away. I heard the blade sawing back and forth through my skin. The pain between my legs was so intense I wished I would die. Waris Dirie cutting pain eye I always knew, from the very day of my own mutilation, that I would one day fight against this practice. I did not know how and when, but I knew that I would fight it. Waris Dirie one-day fighting practice Every day, women move mountains. It is an insult to have an international women's day. Waris Dirie insult mountain moving If you can survive in the desert, you survive anywhere. I know more than anything life in desert. You can tell by looking at the dirt how long ago it rained, how hard it rained, how much water came through. You can by looking at a plant, a tree, from an animal's look. I can read the desert like I read my hand. Waris Dirie long-ago animal hands Many friends have expressed concern that a religious fanatic will try to kill me when I go to Africa. After all, I’ll be speaking out against a crime many fundamentalists consider a holy practice. I’m sure my work will be dangerous, and I admit to being scared…. But my faith tells me to be strong, that God led me down this path for a reason. He has work for me to do. This is my mission. And I believe that long before the day I was born, God chose the day I will die, so I can’t change that. In the meantime, I might as well take a chance, because that’s what I’ve done all my life. Waris Dirie strong religious believe I know what I am fighting for. I am fighting for the most basic rights of innocent children. And that is why I never take the criticism too deep under my skin. Waris Dirie fighting rights children I love the truth. Tell the truth and live the truth, because we've seen enough lies and look what it's doing. Waris Dirie telling-the-truth lying looks Don’t do to your daughters what has been done to you! They are perfect and beautiful. Waris Dirie daughter perfect beautiful Less hatred, more love, less war, more peace, more respect for the Mother Nature and for other people. Waris Dirie mother war people Well, of course there’s my own experience of being mutilated as a little child. Having gone through this cruel practice and all the long-term consequences that come with it, I just cannot sit back and watch it being done to thousands of little girls every year. I believe that it is my responsibility to use the attention I get to fight against the continuing practice of FGM. Waris Dirie girl believe children I love life. I wish I could live another 500 years, truly. There is so much to do. I don't feel bitter or angry or disappointed. If anything, I am very grateful for where I come from. I have absolutely no regrets. Waris Dirie love-life grateful regret When I became successful as a model in the United States, I knew that my chance to be heard had come and so I took it. Waris Dirie united-states chance successful Sometimes I wonder where I am from. I am either way ahead or I come from another world. I don't recognise this world. Waris Dirie sometimes way world I am strong, determined, impulsive, happy, and emotional. Waris Dirie determined emotional strong Fashion is fun, ridiculously fun. But it's base and it's wrong. You're not doing anything good for the world. You're just saying, 'Buy it, buy it, buy it. Waris Dirie fashion fun world
