| Asha Haji Elmi | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1962 Galguduud, Somalia |
| Nationality | Somalian |
| Ethnicity | Somali |
| Alma mater | Somalia National University US International University in Africa |
| Occupation | Peace Activist |
| Religion | Sunni Islam |
| Awards | Right Livelihood Award (2008) Clinton Global Citizen Award (2009) |
Asha Haji Elmi (Somali: Caasha Xaaji Cilmi; born 1962) is a peace activist in Somalia who won the Right Livelihood Award (known as the alternative Nobel Prize) in 2008, with three other activists from India, USA and Germany. In September, 2009, she was one of five recipients of the Clinton Global Citizen Award.[1]
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Asha was born in Somalia in 1962. She has a degree in economics from Somalia National University and holds a Master of Business Administration from the US International University in Africa.
When women were excluded from the peace process in Somalia (which involved the five traditional clans), she formed the Sixth Clan movement to win a seat at the table. She was selected to the Transitional Federal Parliament (TFP) of the Republic of Somalia on August 29, 2004, and will serve until 2009.[2] She is also the founder of Save Somali Women and Children (SSWC), created in 1992 during the height of the Somali Civil War.[3][4]
Asha has been acknowledged internationally for her activism against female genital mutilation (FGM) in Somalia and in other areas of Africa. She frequently travels to college campuses and universities around the world giving speeches about the political conditions in Somalia, FGM and the resulting effects on Somali women.[5]