Maryam Sheikh Abdi is a program officer for the Population Council’s Frontiers in Reproductive Health program. She is based in Nairobi, Kenya. Abdi works on a project that aims to accelerate the abandonment of female genital mutilation/cutting (FGM/C) in the Somali community of North Eastern Province of Kenya. In this region over 98 percent of girls are cut in the most severe form of FGM/C. Part of the FRONTIERS program's effort includes strengthening the capacity of local health systems to manage medical complications associated with the practice. Another component of the program is in the Somali-dominated Wajir District of Kenya and involves initiating culturally appropriate educational strategies to change the perception that Islam supports FGM/C.

Abdi previously worked for the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN World Food Programme, and CARE. She earned a master's in development studies from the University of Nairobi and a bachelor's of education from Moi University.