Feature: For some Somali women opposing genital mutilation has a price

[BN]

UNHCR, Mon 7 Jul 2003

 

 

Somali social worker Hawa Aden stands in front of a girls' school and community centre being built with UNHCR's help. © UNHCR/K.McKinsey

 

 

GALKAYO, Somalia (UNHCR) – Hawa Aden has been called a witch. She and her women colleagues have been labeled traitors to Somali culture and the Islamic religion, and had Friday sermons preached against them in the local mosque. They've been bombed, had their car destroyed and part of their compound torn down by angry local residents.

 

Their "crime"? Hawa and the other women who run the Galkayo Education Centre for Peace and Development are educating girls and women, trying to empower Puntland women, and fighting against female genital mutilation, as well as agitating for peace in a country long wracked by war. After four years in business, the centre, partially funded by UNHCR, is winning small victories in its uphill battle in a deeply traditional society. "They used to call me a witch before, now they call me 'aunt'," Hawa says with a smile.

 

In the north-east part of the county called Puntland, Hawa is fighting to improve the very low status of women in Somali society. Ironically, since civil war broke out in the country following the overthrow of Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, women have become the chief breadwinners of their families, but their economic, social and political standing remains low.

 

Many Somali men are unemployed, their government and other white-collar jobs having disappeared with the civil war. Women have opened teashops, or sell produce in the market – jobs men would not deign to do – and earn the small sums that enable their families to scrape by.

 

"During the war, women were the ones who shouldered all the responsibility, not only for the immediate family, but for the whole extended family," says Hawa, sitting in a garden in the Galkayo Education Centre, a haven whose tranquility these days belies its turbulent history. "Until today, women are the ones who shoulder all the responsibilities, but there's little recognition.

 

"Women have absolutely no status in decision-making," she continues. "Women are excluded from economic participation. No one gives them loans. It's okay for them to sell tomatoes and charcoal, but no one will be happy to see a woman in an executive office."

 

She's optimistic that the lessons girls learn in the classrooms of the centre – peace education and the fight against female genital mutilation, for example, are woven into standard classroom subjects – will pay future dividends. But at the same time, she's impatient. "I don't want to wait 20 years," Hawa says. "I want improvement today for those who should participate" in the economic and political life of the country.

 

Her centre is one of a number of organizations UNHCR supports in Puntland that are trying to improve the lives of women. In Bossaso, one UNHCR partner, the Somalia Reunification Women's Union, works for economic and political empowerment of women to help raise their social status. In Gardo, a town south of Bossaso, UNHCR helps fund GARWODO, the Gardo Women's Development Organization. "We are empowering women through education, child care, literacy for all women, and income-generating activities," explains Sahra Farah Mahamoud, one of the leaders of the group. "All of this is preparatory work for our future political involvement."

 

Simone Wolken, UNHCR Representative for Somalia, is full of admiration for the women of the country. "Either in Somalia, or in exile, they held families together and did everything to help their families survive, despite war and destruction. They never gave up." Now, she believes, they are coming into their own. "Despite the many challenges, in peaceful areas like Puntland, women can now make their mark in reconciliation and reconstruction," says Wolken. "Education and awareness of rights are cornerstones in this regard, and UNHCR is doing all it can to support this."

 

Economist Dahir Mohamed Ismail, a consultant to another UNHCR partner in Gardo, Ecological Preservation Association, feels strongly that "women are the best asset we have. The men only chew; they don't contribute anything to society," he adds, referring to the widespread Somali habit of chewing qat, a natural amphetamine that puts many male Somalis into a stupor and robs them of ambition and the will to work.. "We believe anything being given to Somali people should be through the women," says Dahir. "Otherwise it goes straight to the qat market."

 

Abdullahi F. Ali, a 57-year-old Somali man who recently returned to farm in Gardo after 30 years in the United States, was struck by the way Somali women have stepped up to do any job that can support their families, while the men remain idle. "Without women, this country would be nothing," he says emphatically. "Women are saving society."

 

Back in Galkayo, that's the type of sentiment that keeps Hawa and her colleagues at the Education Centre for Peace and Development going. "The centre has many challenges," she says. "But we are determined. We are committed to really continue, to be patient and not run away. We keep saying: women have a right to participate politically."

[Reality Check]

**clap clap** for Hawa aden!

[Qac Qaac]

i doubted, i also agree with woman saving our country not only in Somalia but also in Europe and in North America both canada and u.s.

 

but i doubted, i think these westerners have another agenda. maybe they wanna start gender war like them, maybe be they want our woman and man come into confrontial 50 50 like in the west, no thanks we don't want our devorce rate gets higher percentage. what we gonna do with alot of kids who don't know their fathers hey we muslims. ok.

 

anyways i doubted, and i doubt these somali ppl who are opening operation like that in our sweet home, i wonder what is their intension is. maybe they only in there coz they speak english. and lived in u.s. or western countries for a number of yrs. in conclusion WE DON'T WANT MORE SELL OUT IN OUR COUNTRY we already have enough, and can't wait untill they die. we somali ppl in our country who doesn't think for their stomachs. but rather think about the whole country. not to destroy one whole somali tribe. so u could be recognized as a governer of so and so place no more sell outs

[Reality Check]

QaQa..are you actually afraid that women in Somalia will become educated and empowered and actual have high paying jobs ??

 

How unislamic of them! :eek:

 

:cool:

[raula]

what would be wrong with putting an end to an unislamic,inhumane and an old horrondeous tradition in its place where it belongs..I mean whether the act of couragesness was acted out by a foreigner or a strong familiar somali women....does it need to be bashed by another Somali...see, that's why we somalis' have trouble understanding each other..I mean when a foreigner does an act of braveness, we support it..but when it comes from within the community...there suddenly an opposition or speculation.

 

 

Qaqa..u might be right to speculate on the issue but are you in any position to understand the motive behind Hawa's leadership?

[SHAKA ZULU]

i want to marry a wife who knows what i mean when i say "Baby let's go to Bed".

 

i really feel sorry for all those girls who never had the pleasure of knowing what it means to have a multiple orgasm.

 

the pleasure and the sensations that comes with the sex everytime she does it with her beloved husband.

 

it was plain brutual what some unfortunate women had to endure and it is time we put it to FULL STOP.

 

God gave them for a purpose and no human soul has a right to deny the pleasure that God meant for them to have with their husbands.

 

no child of mine will ever have her genitals cut period.

 

it is time we said NO MORE GOING THROUGH A UNNECCESSARY TORTURE and PAIN!

[Batuulo]

a/c wr wb

 

"Men want more prominence than women, maybe because of their firepower, but they are the ones who destroyed Somalia through reckless clashes,"

 

"Women got involved in politics after their male counterparts failed to find an amicable solution to national crises,"

[Saalixa]

since I'am very sensitive to this topic i am wondering why theres so many guys discussing this topic? they seemed to be more concerened than the sisters. i hardly see any of the somali sisters talking of this issue. like hello, its ours and keep ur ***** out of it. Like u guys actually care or give a damn?

girls feel me on this one!!!!!!

[Valenteenah.]

Absorbing article Bari_Nomad. Thank you.

 

For sure there is always a price to pay for standing up for what you believe in. But as long as your not dead, you can carry on fighting, regardless of what anyone may think. I thank Allah that there are ladies like Hawa Aden out there, trying to better their lives and those of their sisters and daughters. Mansha'Allah.

[BN]

BARWAAQO,

 

I'm glad you enjoyed the article. Women are the backbone of our country and society. Insha'Allah things will get better.

 

Originally posted by rayaana:

Like u guys actually care or give a damn?

What's that suppose to mean? Don't generalize.

 

Qa'Qa',

 

Why you so negative? There's nothing wrong with trying to raise the standard of women socially, politically and economically.

 

I say well done to hawa Aden and keep up the good work

[MD]

Beautiful story good job Hawa aden, insha'allah everything will change to the better

[La-y-La]

that woman is doing a good job and I have said this so many times, am very proud of somali women like someone said b4, they are the backbone of somali society.

 

I wonder why ther are always one or 2 ppl that have to say, "yeah, somali women are doing good, but..." when it comes to somali women?

 

it is like they cant seeeeee s.women being succesful at somethin, i mean if u trying to support them, ther are better ways to approach, then sayin, "but.." that always follows some negativity.

 

and y is it that we are very happy when some gaal helps us out, but when it is somali, we suddenly jump to ask their motives and we ask if gaalo peeps are giving them money.

 

man, am tired o this, peace.

 

oh yeah, she is doing a good job, may allah help her.

[StarGazer]

Masha Allah..

More and More women aren't waiting for politicans to pick up the pieces....It's clear women and children are the last of their concerns.

[SA7RAWY]

SOMALIA: Women slowly making political inroads

 

 

Somali women want more say in politics

 

 

http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=35364&SelectRegion=Horn_of_Africa

 

 

NAIROBI, 14 Jul 2003 (IRIN) - In the past, Somali women have not had a significant role in politics, but there are now signs that the trend is slowly changing. Although they only make up a small minority at the peace talks currently underway in Kenya - with 35 women out of 362 official delegates - this tiny step is seen as progress.

 

Many of the women at the current talks come from privileged groups which have been able to spend time abroad during part or all of the 13-year civil war.

 

Sarah Ndegwah manages the Somali Women's Centre at the talks. She provides resources for women at the conference, and has produced a brochure titled, "Women for Peace and Prosperity for All in Somalia".

 

A recurring theme in the women’s agenda is 25 percent representation in the new government. "We want people to know that women are also capable," Ndegwah told IRIN. "These are educated women who know what they're doing - lawyers, engineers - and they can also be part of the reconstruction of Somalia."

 

CHANGING MEN'S ATTITUDES

 

The women remain optimistic that traditional male attitudes will change, starting with their male counterparts at the peace conference.

 

Asha Abdalla, a minister in Somalia's Transitional National Government (TNG), noted that while most men at the talks had shown support for women’s increased involvement, this had not yet been translated into overwhelming backing for the women’s agenda.

 

Ibrahim Aan Hassan Kishbur, a delegate from the ********* Resistance Army (RRA), told IRIN that women’s participation was important. "Women should play a big role, because if they are missing from the conference, women’s needs will also be absent," he said.

 

While many men favoured bringing the issue of women’s representation to a vote, they nevertheless voted against allocating 25 percent representation to women. Instead, delegates agreed on just 12 percent of seats in the new parliament for women - only slightly more than they were allocated at the Arta conference in Djibouti in 2000 which ushered in the TNG.

 

"This is impossible because Somali women are more than half the population," Asha contended.

 

STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

 

But to some, this small amount is a start. Somali-born Zahara Ashkir Guled has worked as a consultant on gender issues for several international organisations and is attending her first peace conference.

 

She said it was unlikely that anyone would become aware of the women’s agenda unless women were present at political meetings. "You cannot raise your voice unless you are in the room," Zahara told IRIN.

 

Zahara, like most women at the talks, said she represented women and civil society, rather than any clan or political faction. She said this enabled women to maximise the number of seats they were allocated as a group.

 

Asha, and others, said women had not been give sufficient credit for their crucial role in Somali society, especially during the war. "For the last 13 years, women have been the breadwinners, they were supporting the family, from outside and inside Somalia. The man was absent," she noted.

 

She called on the international community and the media to give greater priority to the input of women in the peace process. "It looks as though they are listening more to those warlords than to regular people like the civil society, like intellectuals, like the women's groups," she stressed.

 

And despite the persistent obstacles, a few women are making their presence felt in ways that would have been unlikely, if not impossible, a decade ago. Asha Abdalla recently announced her candidacy for president of Somalia.

 

"Hopefully this is the time when a woman can challenge a man," she said. "I think Somalia needs a change."

 

 

[ENDS]