Edna Adan Ismail is one of the most influential women in Africa today. As the first person to publicly speak out against FGM in a region where the practice remains widespread, Edna has been a fearless and tireless campaigner for more than 40 years, leading the campaign in the Horn of Africa and internationally. Upon retirement from WHO in 1997, Edna founded the Edna Adan University Hospital with the aim of improving women's health in a region with one of the highest maternal and infant mortality rates in the world. Established as a maternity teaching hospital, it has grown into a major referral institution for obstetrical, surgical, medical and paediatric cases from a wide geographical area in the Horn of Africa. In 2002 Edna served as minister of Social Affairs and Family Welfare in Somaliland and as a Foreign Minister from 2003-06. As the only female minister in the government at the time, she used her position to raise the concerns and amplify the voice of women.