Fatou Baldeh MBE, University of Wolverhampton alumna and honorary graduate, has been named one of TIME Magazine’s 25 Women of the Year for 2025 – a recognition for which she is “extremely proud.” The honour was celebrated at a star-studded gala in West Hollywood, where Fatou found herself among “incredible women breaking glass ceilings.” The moment, she said, felt surreal and deeply humbling.
Fatou studied BSc (Hons) Psychology and Health Studies at Wolverhampton City Campus, graduating in 2009. Now CEO and founder of Women in Liberation and Leadership (WILL), she used the TIME gala platform to raise awareness about female genital mutilation (FGM), a practice that has affected over 230 million girls worldwide. “This recognition sends a powerful message,” she said. “Especially to girls from backgrounds like mine – that it is okay to speak up against injustice.”
Her commitment to ending FGM is both personal and professional. Fatou was just eight years old when she herself underwent the procedure in The Gambia. “FGM is part of the identity of many girls where it is practised,” she explained. “But it’s also a violation of human rights – rooted in inequality, and devastating in its physical and psychological effects.” Through WILL, Fatou empowers women and girls and challenges harmful sociocultural practices that continue to undermine their rights.
Her work has earned her widespread international recognition. In addition to being awarded an MBE by the late Queen Elizabeth II, Fatou received the U.S. State Department’s International Woman of Courage Award at the White House. In 2024, she was honoured with the Women’s Rights Award at the Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy.
In a post on X, former U.S. President Barack Obama celebrated her leadership: “This International Women’s Day, I’m celebrating leaders like Fatou Baldeh in our @GirlsAlliance Network. Read more about her work to end female genital mutilation in Gambia.”
Fatou’s academic journey began at the University of Wolverhampton, where she also received an Honorary Doctorate of Social Science in 2024. Reflecting on this, she said, “The personal significance of this degree is immense. My late father witnessed me become the first in my family to access higher education.
“This recognition will forever remain one of my proudest achievements.”
Through her advocacy, education, and personal story, Fatou continues to change lives – and the world – for the better.
