Ujuni Ahmed

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Ujuni Ahmed
Ujuni Ahmed - Suomi-palkinnot 30.11.2022 43 (cropped).jpg
Ahmed in 2023
Born
Somalia
CitizenshipFinnish
Occupation(s)Activist, writer
Years active2017–present

Ujuni Ahmed is a Somali-Finnish activist and writer whose work centers on immigrants in Finland.

Contents

Early life and education

Ahmed was born in Somalia. [1] At age two, she underwent FGM. [2] She immigrated to Finland with her family in the early 1990s, at age three. [1] [2] She attended comprehensive school in Helsinki. [3] In Finland, Ahmed experienced "quite incomprehensible" racism, and was sometimes driven to and from school despite it being in walkable distance. [4] For her secondary education, she studied practical nursing, a choice she attributes to family pressure, and youth counselling. [3]

Career

In 2017, she became Director of Fenix Helsinki, an organisation which serves immigrant women and children. [2] [5] That year, she appeared on the talk show Enbuske, Veitola & Salminen, hosted by Maria Veitola, as part of a discussion on hijab. The appearance sparked a long-term friendship between Ahmed and Veitola. [6]

In 2020, Ahmed worked for Yle as a news anchor and as a producer of content on the COVID-19 pandemic. She also pitched the idea of presenting news on the pandemic in Somali, allowing broader access to information. While working as an anchor, Ahmed received racist and sexist comments on Twitter, leading her to delete her account. [7] [4] She also received racial epithets on Instagram the following year. [4]

Ahmed is a speaker on immigrant experiences in Finland, and works with young Finnish immigrants. [3] She has also been a vocal critic of FGM and honour killings, for which she received an award from the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture. [5]

In 2022, she released a book on her experiences in school and her work with young immigrants, titled Tytöille, jotka ajattelevat olevansa yksin. [3] [8] Ahmed also translated the book into Somali. [8] A play based on the book was performed at the Finnish National Theatre. [9]

Publications

Awards and recognition

References

  1. 1 2 "Ujuni Ahmed urges people to talk about their problems – political silence only increases the inequalities that minorities face". International Gender Equality Prize. Retrieved 2024-12-24.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Sarasti, Kristiina (2022-02-21). "Vuoden Eeva 2022 -ehdokas Ujuni Ahmed: "Maahanmuuttajayhteisön jäseniä on voimaannutettava silpomisen vastaiseen työhön" | Eeva". eeva.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2025-10-13.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Ujuni Ahmed's message to teachers: "Listen to young people from immigrant backgrounds and have the courage to intervene"". City of Helsinki. 2024-05-22. Retrieved 2024-12-24.
  4. 1 2 3 "Prosecutor drops probe into racial abuse of Somali newsreader". Yle . 2021-02-27. Retrieved 2025-10-13.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "Culture ministry awards activist Ujuni Ahmed for human rights work". Yle . 2022-11-30. Retrieved 2024-12-24.
  6. ↑ Juti, Minna (2022-08-10). "Maria Veitolan ja Ujuni Ahmedin syvä ystävyys alkoi puhelinkeskustelusta: "Meitä yhdistää ulkopuolisuuden tunne"". Anna.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2025-10-13.
  7. ↑ "Yle probe: Why do women in the public eye elicit rage?". Yle . 2021-11-07. Retrieved 2024-12-24.
  8. 1 2 Mahlamäki-Kaistinen, Riikka (2022-11-24). "Jyväskylän kirjamessut: Elina Hirvosen ja Ujuni Ahmedin kirjaprojekti syntyi tarpeesta tuoda vähemmistön tytöt näkyviin". Suur-Jyväskylän Lehti (in Finnish). Retrieved 2025-10-13.
  9. 1 2 "Punaisen Ristin Inhimillinen kädenojennus -tunnustus Ujuni Ahmedille ja Elina Hirvoselle Tytöille, jotka ajattelevat olevansa yksin -kirjan tekemisestä | Suomen Punainen Risti SPR". www.sttinfo.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2025-10-13.
  10. ↑ "Finlandspris till åtta konstnärer och aktörer – 15 000 euro till varje pristagare". valtioneuvosto.fi/sv. 2022-11-30.
  11. ↑ "Priset för utvecklingsjournalism tilldelades Karoliina Knuuti och Mika Niskanen | Suomen Punainen Risti SPR". www.sttinfo.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 2025-10-13.
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