Muna Khalif Yusef (, ), popularly known as Muna Kay, is a Somali- American entrepreneur, fashion designer and legislator. She is the founder and CEO of the Um Lemar brand. Khalif also serves as an MP in the

Federal Parliament of Somalia The Federal Parliament of Somalia (; often ''Baarlamaanka Federaalka Soomaaliya''; ) is the national parliament of Somalia. Formed in August 2012, it is based in the capital Mogadishu and is bicameral, consisting of an Upper House (Senate) and a ...

, and she's elected from Southwest region.

Personal life

Muna Khalif (full name - Muna Khalif Yusef) was born in

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

. Her family is from the Tunni clan. After the civil war broke out in her place of birth, she and her parents emigrated to the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. Khalif studied nutrition at college. She later also took courses in fashion design.

Career

Muna Kay

Khalif is the founder and CEO of Um Lemar, an eponymous clothing line that caters to the Islamic market. She established the brand in order to provide young Muslim women with fashionable attire that adheres to prescribed standards of modesty. Khalif later launched Baby Lemar, an infant garment collection named after her son. As of 2016, the Muna Kay company operates internationally, with retail outlets in

North America North America is a continent in the Northern Hemisphere, Northern and Western Hemisphere, Western hemispheres. North America is bordered to the north by the Arctic Ocean, to the east by the Atlantic Ocean, to the southeast by South Ameri ...

East Africa East Africa, also known as Eastern Africa or the East of Africa, is a region at the eastern edge of the Africa, African continent, distinguished by its unique geographical, historical, and cultural landscape. Defined in varying scopes, the regi ...

and

Dubai Dubai (Help:IPA/English, /duːˈbaɪ/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''doo-BYE''; Modern Standard Arabic, Modern Standard Arabic: ; Emirati Arabic, Emirati Arabic: , Romanization of Arabic, romanized: Help:IPA/English, /diˈbej/) is the Lis ...

. It also has a manufacturing hub in

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

. Additionally, Khalif is the president of the Um Lemar Foundation. The philanthropic organization offers help to the disadvantaged, and provides artisanal training and mentorship to women and girls.

Federal Parliament of Somalia

In November 2016, Khalif presented herself as a candidate for a legislative seat in the Lower House of the

. She was elected a representative for the

South West State The South-West State of Somalia (), (Af-Maay: ''Koofur Orsé''), is a States and regions of Somalia, Federal Member State in southwestern Somalia. It was founded by Hasan Muhammad Nur Shatigadud, leader of the Somalia Rahanweyn Resistance Army, ...

, earning 41 ballots. An electoral oversight body later called for a reelection on the grounds that Khalif and seven other MPs had not met the ballot threshold. The Supreme Court upheld this ruling. However, the decision was eventually overturned by the Federal Parliament, with the Lower House instead authorizing the incumbency of Khalif and the other lawmakers.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Khalif, Muna Living people Ethnic Somali people American people of Somali descent Somalian businesspeople Somalian politicians 1990s births African-American Muslims