Somali Women

[OdaySomali]

Why don't you start a Somali Women's Feminist movement?

 

How women are currently treated Somali society - 50% of our population - is truly saddening and heartbreaking... ma' aha wax loo adkaysan karo. Walle' waa ayaan darro. For god's sake is there not one, just one, among you with the heart and the resolve to start a women's movement?

 

All it takes is one...

 

[OdaySomali]

This is what I commented in another thread:

 

Men and women in society.

 

One aspect of the society that I found fascinating to observe, was the roles and rights of men and women in society. It was saddening to see the state of women in Somali society and that although, de-facto, they nowadays bear a huge and disproportionate responsibility for bringing up children, running households and often financially maintaining the households, their rights are not respected or fulfilled and they do not receive the respect that in all honesty they are more than due. The Somali family is in crisis, it seems; and this is where many of the Somali people's societal ill's stem from.

 

When Somalis were still mostly nomadic, it was almost next to impossible for a woman to own her own lifestock as all the livestock belonged to the man/husband/father. Although things have improved and are marginally better in the urban context than they were in the rural nomadic environment, it is still very difficult for Somali women to own things out of their own right. They are still treated as property of their husbands, who ought not to think or speak, or look thoughtful and intelligent, when their men are in present because the men are seen as the head of the household. This is changing slows as some women become financially independent. For example, you will find that the vast majority of the traders are women, selling drinks, food, clothes, qat, exchanging money. Other women receive a financial lifeline through the remitannces that are sent to them from their families. Some of the men try to preserve their previously complete dominance and control over the family's finances and assets, and where this is not possible for them, there are incidents that occur as a result. Often they will beat their wives and take from them the little monies they earn from petty-trading or are sent from their families. Incidentally many of those men do not fulfill their responsiblities as fathers and husbands and in many cases transgress against their wives. Clearly something is going wrong and perhaps Somali boys ought to receives instruction (lessons) in "how to be a good father/husband" and to clarify what their religious duties are in respect to their families. Having said that there are some Somali men that have done very well for themselves and very much run their family matters well, so let's not brush all Somalis with the same brush.

 

Somali women (mothers) themselves also perpetuate the very anti-women, denigrading norms and values that so harm the Somali woman's social standing and opportunity in life. Fathers and mothers will often keep girls behind from school, from dugsi/malcaamad and sometimes this is for practical reasons, other times this is because of ignorance. One particular scenario is where a mother has many children, some of whom are young (the father is a lazy layabout who chews qat) and the mother is engages in some sort of work or petty trading. The mother will keep behind one of the girls to look after the young kids, to do the cooking, cleaning and maintain the house. In another scenario the father or mother will say that "a girl does not need education" anyway, so keep one (or more) of them behind for convenience's sake so that those girls may do the cooking, cleaning etc.

 

Their is still the pervasive belief that women belong in the kitchen, with children, doing the cleaning etc. For a man to enter the kitchen is, literally taboo and should a man enter the kitchen he will be shouted at, rediculed and forcefully told to get out of the kitchen. If it were the agreement then, that Somali women would look after the household and the men would go out and earn the living, at least the women have held up their end of the bargain.

 

If Somali society is to move forward, Somali women need to be empowered and they need to be taugt that they too deserve to have rights, to have opinions and to be heard. We need a Somali feminist movement and I urge every Somali woman (and man) out there to do something and get involved in Somali soceity to improve the rights, opportunities and standing of Somali women. If Somali people are to people are to mover forward, this has to be done.

 

This is for two important, yet simple reasons. The first reason is one of simple demographics. Somali women are likely a huge percentage of the overall Somali population (50% if not more) and to say that 50% of our population will not have an education, cannot work, will not have any ownership rights, decision-making rights or that their voices will not be heard is extemely detrimental to and damaging our society and economy. The second and other other reason is one of beneficial side-effect/consequence. Ordinarily the mother will spend more time with a child, caring for, feeding, playing with and educating a child. If a mother is educated, literate, aware/informed and empowered, this will have a huge and transformational consuence on the next Somali generations of children. These children will, guaranteed, live better as a consequence precisely because their mother is more educated, she is literate, aware and empowered to make better decisions with positive transformational consequences.

[warsamaale]

it pains me how Somali women are treated. we can lay claim to being among the most misogynistic peoples anywhere on this earth - just behind the accursed Pakhtuns. the Somali patriarchal Geel-jire culture was never pro women add to that the deleterious effects of the Arab religion and you have woeful conditions those unlucky to be born female.

[Haatu]

Apophis;960475 wrote:

We can rest assured that feminism, like aids, will never take root among Somalis. My 2 shillings.

Thank goodness.

[warsamaale]

what about women's rights groups, reproductive rights, eduction rights, right to work, that kind of thing ?

[Guzel]

Men, women and children all need a movement to empower them. Somali women are victims of lawlessness first, we can overcome the patriarchal aspect of our culture.

[Wadani]

Apo, nimankan naga qabo please. I thought it was the somali women we had to be worried about, but who knew there so many white knights waiting to take up the cause.

[Safferz]

Wadani;960510 wrote:

Apo, nimankan naga qabo please. I thought it was the somali women we had to be worried about, but who knew there so many white knights waiting to take up the cause.

When did supporting women's rights become a problem?

[Haatu]

Safferz;960512 wrote:

When did supporting women's rights become a problem?

Yarey, there's a difference between what I like to call positive women empowerment (female education etc.) and crazy feminism (anaa surwaalka kula xiran etc.) And yes, it was my intention to come across as condescending

[Safferz]

^^ feminism and female empowerment are one and the same, even rights as basic as the right to vote were hard earned gains that women had to organize and fight for.

[Haatu]

Safferz;960517 wrote:

^^ feminism and female empowerment are one and the same, even rights as basic as the right to vote were hard earned gains that women had to organize and fight for.

Still there's a distinction. One is about genuine improvement of women's life (we'll call it passive feminism just to appease you), the other is an arrogant and misguided approach of kicking men off their natural pedestal (radical feminism).

[Safferz]

What's natural about misogyny?

[Haatu]

What's misogyny got to do with men's natural position in this world?

[Safferz]

Misogyny underpins patriarchy and the belief in male dominance. It's BS, and there's nothing natural about male supremacy.

[Haatu]

Safferz;960524 wrote:

Misogyny underpins patriarchy and the belief in male dominance. It's BS, and there's nothing natural about male supremacy.

Well we won't agree here then. Men are the heads of households. This is a natural and historic fact. I don't see where misogyny comes into it other than from inferior creatures who have to manifest their manliness by oppressing women.