Nina Smart was born in communist Romania and spent her teenage years in West Africa. Following a terrifying, life-changing experience she immigrated to the United States in 1992. Listen as she shares her journey from facing Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in West Africa to using education to empower women around the world. An accomplished fashion designer, Nina uses her talents to transform lives. In 2004 she founded SWF International, an organization that works to eradicate FGM in Sierra Leone.

“From Fear to Here: Secrets, Sexuality, and Service in Sierra Leone”
with Nina Smart, UCI Sociology Ph.D. and author of Wild Flower

November 20, 2014
5:30-7:45 p.m.
UCI Student Center, Doheny AB

Featuring performances by the Nigerian Student Association and UCI Claire Trevor School of the Arts Department of Dance.

About the speaker:
Nina earned her Ph.D. in sociology from the University of California, Irvine. Her Romanian and English poems are published in the first and seventh volume of Simbioze Lirice. Smart is the recipient of several prestigious international awards for her humanitarian work, and travels the world to raise awareness about FGM and to present effective solutions on how to stop this human rights violation. She lives in Los Angeles with her family.

RSVP online: www.studentaffairs.uci.edu/wei