Nimco Ali

British social activist of Somali heritage noted as co-founder and CEO of The Five Foundation, the Global Partnership to End female genital mutilation (FGM).

When she was four, her family moved to Manchester, England, where she was raised. She has four brothers, one of whom, Mohamed, is chair of the Somali Conservatives.

Ali underwent FGM at the age of seven at a hospital in Djibouti while on vacation with her family. She later suffered health complications and had to undergo reconstructive surgery.

Her book What We’re Told Not to Talk About (But We’re Going to Anyway): Women’s Voices from East London to Ethiopia was published by Penguin Books in June 2019. It includes stories of women who are sharing experiences they have always been told should be "secret and shameful" as well as Ali's own story of living with FGM.

Ali was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2019 Birthday Honours for services to tackling female genital mutilation and gender inequality.