Ms. Hawa Aden Mohamed

Ms. Hawa Aden Mohamed is the founder and Executive Director of the Galkayo Education Center for Peace and Development (GECPD). Often referred to as "Mama Hawa," she is a former Somali refugee and a globally recognized women's rights advocate.

After returning to Somalia in the 1990s, she founded GECPD to provide education, protection, and empowerment opportunities for women and girls who had been affected by conflict, displacement, and harmful cultural practices such as female genital mutilation (FGM).

Under her leadership, GECPD has transformed thousands of lives through formal education, vocational training, human rights advocacy, and psychosocial support.

“Education is the most powerful tool for transforming a life, a family, a community — even a nation.”

Ms. Hawa received the 2012 Nansen Refugee Award from UNHCR for her extraordinary service to displaced women and girls in Somalia.