The Place of Women in the Politics of Somalia

[Blessed]

The following article maybe somewhat outdated as there has been great effort in integrating women into the politics of the Somali regions (SL,PL and Somalia). Perhaps that is a ploy to impress the UN and other agencies.... but what do you think?

 

Let's Not Reinvent The Peace-making Wheel

[Valenteenah.]

Tweety, are you a mind reader? LoL...I was thinking of posting something about this since reading some articles about it the other day.

 

A ploy? I think it's a little more than that. I'm not sure about how involved women are in the political decision-making process, but they have been active agents of change in the last decade where peace-building is concerned. Women were involved extensively in campaigning for peace in Somaliland, Puntland and other parts of Somalia. I gotta rush now but below are a couple of extracts from a 2003 International Alert report....its messy so decode it pls until I can sort it out 4 u lot.

 

 

Box 14: Women in peace negotiations in Somaliland

 

In May 1991 the north-west region seceded from Somalia to form the independent Republic

of Somaliland. The initial euphoria of independence was shattered by the outbreak of violent fighting between sub-clans in Burao in January 1992 and in Berbera in March 1992. Many

of those caught up in this fighting had only just arrived in Somaliland, having endured

terrifying journeys as they fled from the horror of the inter-clan conflict in southern Somalia.

 

This violent conflict was brought to an end in October 1992 through a political settlement

and peace conference, held in the town of Sheik, brokered by the Somaliland elders. What is

seldom documented is the role women played in bringing an end to the conflicts, promoting

the Sheik conference, and their role in subsequent peace processes in Somaliland.

 

A woman peace activist remembers:

 

About 300 of us came to Burao and we tied white bands around our heads – white symbolises anger or sorrow in Somali culture – and we hurriedly assembled between the two fighting groups. Then we marched up and down between the two groups demonstrating and singing moving buranbuur (women’s poems or songs) urging the fighters to remember the bad times they and their families had been through. As we did this the men stopped firing. The fighters were shamed by our sorrowful songs. What really made the fighters throw down their weapons was the wailing and crying songs sung by the women as we ran to and fro between the two units until a ceasefire was achieved.

 

When further violence broke out later in the year, hundreds of women with banners and

slogans marched together in protest to the presidency and parliament building urging men to

stop the war and solve the disputes peacefully. The elders agreed but dragged their feet.

After determined pressure from the women the Sheik peace conference was arranged for October 1992. In accordance with custom, women were not present as participants or mediators

but as one man put it ‘they were the wind behind the peace conference – they mobilised the

elders, prepared the venue, the food, and encouraged the participants to keep going until the final peace accord was reached’.

 

The Sheik conference paved the way for a national conference in Boroma the following year. Here, 10 women, representing two women’s organisations (Somaliland Women’s Development Association and Somaliland Women’s Association)

participated, after petitioning forced the conference delegates, all of them men, to accept

their presence. However, none of the women representatives were allowed voting rights.

 

Although excluded from formal decision-making the women were allowed to present their

views in front of the delegates and they worked hard to ensure that they successfully

influenced the process and outcomes of the conference. Through speeches, pamphlets,

songs and women’s poems, many specially created for the occasion, the women representatives advocated and lobbied to persuade their male clan representatives of the need to reconcile their major differences with the other clans, for the sake of the country.

The following quote concerns how women organised themselves to get the 25 seats on the TNG in SOMALIA.

 

… People fight because of the clans and they wanted to reconcile according to their clan, and

every clan wants to get a share. We as women refuse to rally behind the clan, and said …

there’s no role according to traditional clan structure, women have no role. So we said why don’t we form our own clan which is the women’s clan?... And then we lobbied to get one clan, and

we really succeeded to have our own clan.

[sHARING KNOW-HOW PROJECT INTERVIEW WITH ZAKIA ALIM, MARCH 2001]

Judy El-Bushra, 2003, WOMEN BUILDING PEACE: Sharing know-how, pp 44, Internation Alert.

 

PS: did anyone else know that buraanbur was used as a tool in conflict resolution? I'm well impressed I have to say, I have always only thought of Somali womenn as victims and only victims. But they are not...they know how to fight back and they have...

[Blessed]

^^I keep telling you gal...I have special powers but you never beleive me

 

Naah..but me came across a few articles in the past weeks too...everything I pick seems to be about araweelos :confused:

 

I'll disagree with ya, since doing otherwise would be boring. I think that although the women were very intstrumental in the peace process and still are the very back-bone of keeping the peace.

 

politicaly its a whole different game. Most regions now organise special shocase events for international womens month ... why because it shows the international world what a progressive bunch of democrates somali men are...

[Waaq]

I have come to the realization that Somali women are our only hope. Granted this is a generalization, but far more of the Somali sisters are doing well with their opportunities. Somali men for the most part have failed in their so called obligations. The sad fact is that so many of them have been corrupted. I welcome wholehardly the full participation of women in the peace and political process, as well as men of good character.

[Gediid]

There's this piece on the elections in Somaliland and the role women played.The article is long but pages 10-19 is about women and the elections.Its an interesting read and it will give you an idea of how far they have reached in playing their role.

 

 

Elections in Somaliland

[Libaax-Sankataabte]

"Throughout the postindependence period, the Somali armed forces relied on reserves to help defend national security and preserve internal stability. In 1961, for example, the government created the Women's Auxiliary Corps. Qualified enlistees underwent a five-month period of basic training and instruction in typing, record keeping, and related subjects. During their two-year enlistment, Somali women worked in a variety of positions associated with administration, personnel, and military welfare. Most Women's Auxiliary Corps personnel served in army headquarters in Mogadishu or in subordinate headquarters in the field."

 

read more

[La Fidele]

I haven't yet had the opportunity to read these articles, but if not in Somalia, I believe women will (and already do) play an integral role in the future of Somali communities in the West.

 

I don't mean to hate--I know of several young Somali men pursuing post-secondary educations or contributing to community-building by other means--but it seems that future community leaders will be predominantly women.

 

This isn't meant to admonish Somali men, or even really flatter Somali women seeing that so many more of us could be working towards building a strong community. It's just a pattern that I've noticed.

[Senora]

"Furthering human progress is through women’s progress"

 

I read a few of the articles,but I dont have time right now to discuss, so Ill try and come back on here to post my views on this later