Queen Margaret University has awarded an honorary Doctor of the University degree to Fatou Baldeh MBE, the Gambian-born activist whose tireless global campaign against female genital mutilation (FGM) has transformed policy, empowered survivors, and shifted cultural attitudes in Africa and Europe.
The honor was conferred today at the first of QMU’s 2026 graduation ceremonies at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall, recognizing Baldeh’s extraordinary journey from survivor and student to internationally acclaimed leader in women’s rights. A graduate of the university’s MSc in Sexual and Reproductive Health (2013), Baldeh has used her education and lived experience to drive change at both grassroots and policy levels.
Baldeh first rose to prominence in Scotland after publicly speaking about FGM in 2013, breaking years of stigma and denial within diaspora communities. Her powerful evidence to the Scottish Parliament the following year helped shape landmark prevention strategies and survivor-centered safeguarding practices, positioning Scotland as a leader in tackling the issue in Europe.
In 2018, she returned to The Gambia and founded Women in Liberation and Leadership (WILL), an organization that has become a vital force for women’s rights. WILL provides survivor support, grassroots advocacy, and works to strengthen legal protections. Baldeh has also collaborated with The Gambia’s Truth, Reconciliation and Reparations Commission to ensure women’s experiences of sexual and gender-based violence are documented and addressed in national healing processes.
Her work has earned widespread international acclaim. In 2025, she was named one of TIME Magazine’s Women of the Year and listed among the 100 Most Influential People in the World. She has received the International Women of Courage Award, the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy’s Women’s Rights Award, and recognition from the Clooney Foundation for Justice for her role in defending The Gambia’s ban on FGM. She is also a member of the Obama Foundation’s Girls Opportunity Alliance Network, led by Michelle Obama.
“Taking the MSc course at the Institute for Global Health and Development has truly been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Baldeh said. “The course provided not only a solid theoretical foundation in gender, sexual and reproductive health, and rights, but also an eye-opening experience of learning alongside passionate students from diverse backgrounds.”
QMU Principal Sir Paul Grice praised her distinctive leadership: “What distinguishes Fatou’s leadership is not only its global reach, but its humanity. She leads with empathy rooted in lived experience, intellectual rigor shaped by education, and a moral clarity that inspires collective action.”
Baldeh, who was appointed MBE in 2020 for her advocacy for Black and Minority Ethnic communities in Scotland, joined QMU Chancellor Patrick Grant to celebrate the achievements of this year’s graduates. Her story continues to embody the university’s core values of social justice, inclusion, and global engagement.
