Efua Dorkenoo obituary

Efua Dorkenoo, who has died aged 65 after undergoing treatment for cancer, was a tireless campaigner against female genital mutilation. She was widely regarded as the mother of the worldwide movement to end FGM. Efua fought for more than 30 years to ensure the protection of girls and women from a practice that violates their human rights.

She was born in Cape Coast, Ghana, daughter of John and Marian Elliot-Yorke. One of 11 children, she grew up on the campus of Adisadel college, Cape Coast, where her father was the school nurse, and went on to attend Wesley girls high school, where she eventually became a house prefect. At the age of 17, Efua moved to London, where she became a staff nurse at various hospitals including the Royal Free.