Dr Leyla Hussein OBE has been elected as the rector of the oldest university in Scotland, and one of the most prestigious universities in the United Kingdom ranked third after Cambridge and Oxford universities. Leyla makes history as the first African woman to be appointed to that position.
Dr Leyla Hussein OBE is a psychotherapist, campaigner, and global leader on gender rights. She was nominated to run for the position of a Rector at the University of St Andrews. Her campaign was based on the three A’s: Access, Action, and Accountability.
As an activist and psychotherapist, Dr Hussein has worked to create and support foundations seeking to end violence against women and girls around the world – most notably by Co-founding the Dahlia Project and the Daughters of Eve initiatives.
For her efforts, she has received a commendation from multiple organizations, being named one of the most influential women in the UK by the BBC in 2014 after creating her 2013 documentary “The Cruel Cut” and being appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2019.
Leyla is a tireless, courageous activist, and founder who has fought against female genital mutilation (FGM) in her country of birth and against gender-based violence. Through her work, thousands of women have been spared violence or have been helped to recover from the trauma.
Dr Leyla Hussein OBE posted on LinkedIn and said, “I am thrilled to announce my candidacy for Rector of the University of St Andrews! For me, being elected for this position would be an honour and an opportunity to work more closely with the young, driven, and future-oriented students, I have gotten to know over the past several months. I hope to collaborate with them to advocate for and enact the change they want to see at the University.”
Dr Hussein is an active force and catalyst for change–both inside and outside of her work as an activist–with her background in psychotherapy, consultancy, and counselling, constantly allowing for progress to enact this change as a community.
We congratulate Dr Leyla Hussein OBE on her latest achievement. Cheers!!!
Source: foreignaffairsreview.com
