As the world commemorates International Women's Day, the stories of courageous women like Zahra Mohamed Ahmad highlight their resilience amid ongoing conflict and struggles for equality. From advocating for human rights to supporting their communities, these women continue to shape the future of Somalia.
Somali human rights defender Zahra Mohamed Ahmad is one of an extraordinary group of women who made sacrifices for her country.
She fled from the country, following the 1991 collapse of the central government of Somalia.
Mama Zahra, as she is affectionately known, returned to Somalia in 2000 and has fought since then for "justice, equality, and Somali unity."
Her biggest loss, she said, came when her only son was killed by unknown men who stopped him as he was walking along one of the streets of Mogadishu. Despite that tragedy, she and her colleagues at the organization she founded, the Somali Women Development Center (SWDC), continue to support the voiceless and marginalized.
In 2021, the U.S. State Department recognized her exceptional bravery in defending the rights of the most vulnerable and awarded her the International Women of Courage Award.
This year, Ahmed was among several Somali women who shared their feelings with VOA Somali to commemorate International Women's Day.
"The gloomy ugly days that followed the ouster of the former Siad Barre regime, the days our children were dying for starvation and famine, the days mothers, children, and the old people dying on the streets fleeing from their homes, are still fresh in my memory," Ahmed said. "And every year March 8 reminds many Somali women of the plight conditions they have gone through, in which many of them still live," said Ahmad.
Duniyo Mohamed Ali, a Somali woman activist in Mogadishu, remembers the role of Somali women for the survival of family in a nation devastated by civil war.
"After the civil war broke out in 1991, the Somali women were the saviors of their families. They built schools and smaller clinics; mediated peace talks between clans; and became entrepreneurs to get bread on the tables of their families," Ali said.
In the country's northeastern state of Puntland, women turned their celebration for Women's Day this year into campaigns of preparing food for Puntland security forces, who are at the front lines fighting with Islamic State terrorists.
The chairperson of the Bari Region Women's Organization, Kafi Ali Jire, said they could not celebrate the day with music and events because of the ongoing Puntland war with ISIS.
"Many women are mourning for the deaths of their husbands in the battle; others are sad because their husbands were injured, and many others whose husbands, sons and brothers are on the front lines are worrying about the safety of their loved ones, so instead of celebrating with colored events, [annual celebrations of the day that used to be held with arts, food and politicians], we have decided to dedicate the day to support our brave soldiers," said Jire.
In politics, as it has been the case for years, Somali women do not have much to celebrate this International Women's Day because they are still struggling to reach a 30% quota set for women lawmakers in the country and other decision-making political offices.
"As of today, female candidates have secured only half the needed seats to reach the quota," said Lul Mohamed Sheikh, a women's rights activist in Mogadishu who has a doctorate. "Our dream was that each community with three or more seats should have allocated one seat for the women. It sadly did not happen."
Sheikh said the social and cultural norms that prevented women from getting constitutionally allocated seats are still in place.
"Clan elders, who play a key role in selecting potential lawmakers, have been blocking women from seeking office," she said.
"Other challenges include that the country's leaders do not nominate a good number of women into the top political offices and lack of unity among women," Sheikh added.
Out of the 275 seats for Somalia's Lower House, clans have so far selected only 52 women.
As Somalia's women continue to navigate the challenges posed by conflict and societal norms, their stories of resilience and determination serve as a powerful reminder of their essential role in shaping the nation's future.
Humanitarian crisis
This year International Women's Day comes as Somali women suffer from displacement caused by the ongoing war against al-Shabab and Islamic State in the country's Northeast and Central regions.
Somalia, an aid-dependent nation that averted famine in 2022 through increased humanitarian assistance, is now witnessing a resurgence of food insecurity.
Currently, 3.4 million people are acutely food insecure, and this number is projected to rise to 4.4 million between April and June — nearly a quarter of the population, Somali officials and the United Nation's humanitarian agencies said this week.
The World Food Program (WFP) estimates that approximately 1.7 million children under the age of five require immediate support, with 466,000 likely to be severely acutely malnourished and at risk of death this year.
"We have learned in Somalia from past experience that delays can be deadly, and we need resources to provide support to these very vulnerable groups," said WFP spokesperson Jean-Martin Bauer from Rome.
He urged donors and partners to increase funding for the country of 19 million people as it faces this escalating crisis.
This story originated in the Somali Service.
