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Saturday, April 16th 2011 at the Pride Inn Hotel, Nairobi
INTRODUCTION
At around ten o’clock in the morning, all the expected guests had arrived. They comprised of Somali intellectuals, members of the Somali Diaspora, and members of civil societies and women representatives.
The facilitator introduced himself first and asked the eldest panel guest to open the forum with a word of prayer. He then asked each guest to introduce himself/herself before the audience and gave the participants time to familiarize with each other.
After the brief orientation session, the facilitator reminded the participants the topic of discussion: - The Burden of the two Decades Somali Conflicts on Women and Children.
But before deliberating on the main topic, the facilitator ignited the discussion with a brain storming session on:-
1) History of the roles of Women in Somalia
The first participant to deliberate on the agenda thanked the facilitator for bringing this agenda on the table for discussion. She argued that since time of immemorial, Somali women have played crucial roles in the socio-economic spheres of life. She cited the roles the women played in the family economy among the Somali communities. For instance, it is the woman who looks after the shoats while taking care of the camels was the preserve for men. Homestead utensils and beddings were primarily manufactured by women from indigenous materials.
Another participant added that women were expected to make the traditional milk storage utensils in line with the norms and curving identity of the clan as each clan had its own different identity in terms of branding. However, the advent of modern industries relieved women of this role as modern utensils substituted the traditional ones.
Makeshift houses are one of the lifestyle features of pastoral communities, Somalis included. Again the women played the roles of not only assembling the house building materials but also building the houses. When the family is due to shift to look for greener pastures, it is the woman who loads the house holds onto the back of camel, offloads them at destination points and then builds the house. The roles of milking the animals and oil production by women cannot be overlooked.
A part from the family economic roles women play, a guest who is a women rights champion saluted the many Somali women who single-handedly bring up the children and perfect the children socialization process. In the nomadic lifestyle, the fathers spend a substantial amount of their time taking the animals to the grazing land and water points. This leaves the mothers to spend much time with the children socializing them to the culture of the community.
Moreover, it was observed by a participant that in mechanical communities like the Somalis, women do entirely all the domestic work as men are culturally absolved to do such work, unlike in the industrial communities where the two partners share the domestic work.
Women's pivotal role in the socio-economic lives of the Somali society was not only historic but also it was agreed upon that women still play such roles in modern Somali societies.
Having exhausted the discussion, the facilitator ones again invited deliberations on the second agenda which was:-
2) History of the challenges of women in Somalia
A participant expressed her sympathy to the Somali women both in the past and at present time and reported that the Somali women face numerous challenges. But she was quick to point fingers to Somali culture and traditions as the major sources of women challenges. In a male-dominated society, woman rights are bound to be violated. For instance, the girl child was denied any sort of education while only the boys were taken to the Quran learning centers known as the Dugsis. But even with the advent of modern and formal schooling system after the independence period, the Somali communities were still reluctant to take girls to schools compared to their male counterparts. Moreover, women did not fully benefit from the adult education programs embarked by the post-independence governments to combat the rising illiteracy levels. Male adults were rather enrolled in these adult education centers while the women were confined to the domestic affairs.
One of the most socio-cultural challenges faced by women is the society's perception on women. In a male dominated society, women were seen as lesser sex whose mere survival is only guaranteed under the "merciful" hands of men. Culturally, the girl child was and (in some places up to date) forcefully married off at a tender age as they were seen as economic investments fetching wealth in terms of dowry. Sometimes very elderly men married underage girls primarily not for marriage sake but as a labour force since the young girl will look after the animals of her husband.
Women were not allowed to take part in any leadership positions as it was a taboo to have a woman leader. In fact some of the Somali communities have some old adage that carry demeaning words against the Somali women with reference to their leadership qualities and this shows that stereotype against the Somali women folk had deep cultural linings.
A participant noted that the act of men bartering their wives is both historic and modern challenge to the Somali women. It was socially acceptable for men to beat their wives although the situation is now gradually improving as the society drifts into modernity. Ironically, in the past, wives themselves saw nothing wrong with their husbands beating them. A participant had jokingly narrated how he recalls seeing a wife that abandoned her home because her husband was not beating her and thus suspected he was married to another wife whom he beats.
This implied that men who beat their wives do so because they love them.
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) is another major challenge that haunts the Somali woman to the present moment. Contrary to the ancient justifications of FGM as a religious practice, it has now come clear that this evil act has no religious backing. With no guts to question the viability of such culture-based barbaric act, women had to silently bear its ordeals ranging from having difficulties in urination, painful menstruation and consummation times and child birth complications. Indeed, a sizeable number of initiates die immediately after the cut owing to excessive lose of blood.
It was generally agreed by the entire forum that the historic challenges faced by women spill over even to the present day situation. It was however believed that education and modernity can alleviate the challenges facing women and positively change the society's perception on women.
GUEST SPEAKER'S PRESENTATIONS
The guest speaker who is actively involved in women rights advocacy took the stage and gave her presentation on:-
a) The Direct Burden of the two Decades Somali Conflicts on Women and Children
She started her presentation by condemning any sort of conflicts that takes place anywhere in this planet. She reminded the audience that no party or individual stands to benefit from the conflicts in Somalia. She recounted that many battles have been fought in Somalia in the last two decades with no single party emerging victorious.
While acknowledging the burden of the two decades Somali conflict on the entire Somali population, she categorically pointed that women and children are mostly affected by the wars. Women and children are the major casualties as many of them get killed and injured in the wars. For the injured ones, lack of or inadequate health centers in the war ravaged Somalia worsens their situation.
She further narrated that women and children comprise the highest number of people displaced by the Somali conflicts. They may be internally or externally displaced, but it is evident that the challenges facing women and children in refugee camps are enormous. Poor sanitation, lack of or inadequate social amenities, overcrowding, lack of identity and insecurity are some of the common hurdles facing women and children in their temporary concentration camps.
The two decades Somali conflict resulted to women take over of the roles previously played by men. For instance, women turned to be bread winners in many Somali families affected by the conflicts whether living inside or outside the country. With the shrinking of men population due to the civil war with some killed in the battles and others fleeing the war zone, the women assume single parenting roles and generally experience roles overload. It is unfortunate that majority of the remaining husbands resort to drug and substance use while ignoring their parental role. It is common sight nowadays for women engaging in economic activities to feed, cloth, shelter and educates their children while men wander around idly and chew miraa to pass time.
The other burden on women as identified by the guest speaker, is the extended family the women are left to look after and provide with all the basic needs. Due to the conflicts, many abandoned relatives, children and elderly people seek refuge in other families and this beneficiary build-up and dependency stretch leads to financial constraints to the families managed singe-handedly by women.
The guest speaker expressed her sympathy to the many Somali women who are sexually assaulted or subjected to rape. The lawlessness in Somalia had exposed the women to the various gang groups and militia who capitalize on this state of affairs and inflict sexual abuse to the desperate and helpless women. With no legal or political avenues to address this disaster, women silently bear the brunt of sexual violence. And since it is uncustomary to talk about sexual matters publicly, the women remain prone to unreported sexual assaults in the conflict zones of Somalia.
The speaker also discussed in details the problems encountered by women in accessing maternal health services. High illiteracy rate, lack of political order and poor infrastructure are the major hindrances to access maternal health services. Most women seek the services of traditional birth attendants since the few health centers offering maternity services are either ill-equipped to handle the large influx, or out of reach or insecure to get to them. The services of traditional birth attendants become risky in that unhygienic tools are used and sometimes leading to more complications that result to the demise of either the mother or the fetus or both.
The audience was reminded that generally the condition of the mother at any time replicates to that of the child as well and therefore the children have had their share of ordeals in the two decades Somali conflict. A part from cases of deaths, injuries and displacements just like their parents, children were greatly disadvantaged in terms of access to education. Since the fall of the central government in 1991, Somalia has not had elaborate and reliable education system.
Born and brought up in a volatile environment and with no education, the children are easily enticed to be recruited as children soldiers. It is heartening to see how war lords use these child soldiers to commit atrocities against fellow countrymen. Children make up the gangs that place roadblocks on the highways in order to rob the passengers and hijack the vehicles.
The guest speaker had also mentioned that Somali children during the two decades conflicts were not spared from drug and substance abuse. Being a failed state, drug barons find Somalia as a fertile ground to traffic and sell their drugs. The children unfortunately make-up a sizeable market niche for these drugs.
The spiraling rate of child trafficking cases in the last two decades in Somalia is a direct consequence of the civil war. Although there are no official statistics and documentations on estimates of child trafficking cases, it is believed that Somalia is currently a safe haven for foreign and local child traffickers and also acts as a transit terminal.
The guest speaker had also highlighted how Somali children are affected by the activities of terrorist organizations. Being ignorant and with no national agency to protect them, children become easily gullible to join the terrorist organizations as they are easily brainwashed and indoctrinated with little money and heavenly promises. It has been reported that some terrorist elements in Somalia are using children to accomplish suicide missions.
In concluding her presentations, she was quick to raise the red flag on the children who are getting recruited to the piracy network in the seas of Somalia. She claimed that this network is bound to attract many children because of the monetary returns attached to it in terms of the ransom paid by the hijacked ships. She further explained how the flashy lifestyle of the pirates is tempting the children to join the lucrative venture without minding the consequences. It is claimed that the emergence of teen pirates with plenty of cash is a common sight in some coastal towns in Somalia, thus sending the inviting signals to other children in the lawless country.
The facilitator thanked the guest speaker for her well-researched presentation and opened the discussion to other participants.
b) The Indirect Burden of the two Decades Somali Conflicts on Women and Children
A participant who is a member of the Diaspora community argued that the indirect effects of the civil war are well evident in lives of women and children living in the Diaspora. Cultural dilemma is the worst headache experienced by the Somali emigrants living in North America and Europe. Children born and brought in the Western world adopt the lifestyle and values of the host countries and this brings misunderstanding between them and their parents who want their children to uphold the Somali traditions at all times. This has even compelled some parents to forcefully or cunningly return their children (who are citizens of the Western countries) to Africa and never allow them to go back.
Another participant said that some children in North America involve themselves with gang groups and drug networks. This had shuttered the hopes and aspirations of many parents who thought that their children would get the best education in the West and latter render their positive contributions back to the society.
This cultural dilemma has caused family disintegration as many families break up. A participant in a light touch said the women are misusing their high status in the West to harass their husbands who also fail to appreciate the turn of events. High rate of divorce and many single mothers is a major concern to the Diaspora community and to women in particular which has resulted to family disintegration.
A participant gave an account of some of the disastrous episodes that befell the Somali women who aspire to fulfill their dreams of living and working in foreign lands. The international media frequently report high number of Somali emigrants, women and children included, who die in the Gulf seas after their over-loaded boats capsize. Some of them are eaten by wild animals while some die of hunger and thirst in the midst of the Sahara desert as they try to cross it by foot.
It was observed that life is not always promising at the other end and the unpleasant conditions in the foreign countries force many young girls and mothers to resort to prostitution and some other unlawful means of earning money. Children and women have been in many cases exposed to forced labour in the Arabian Peninsula where they are used as slaves in homes and plantations, some have even been tortured and killed by their masters.
CONCLUSIONS
The historical role of women in the socio-economic spheres of life among the Somali communities has been admittedly vital. Women being the driving force in the family economy and their parallel contributions in children upbringing and socialization were well articulated and appreciated. It was also noted that women’s roles can’t and shouldn’t be viewed from historical perspective alone as even in the modern era, women still remain the economic and social nuclear in the life set-up of the Somali communities.
However, it is regrettable that enormous challenges that mutate from both cultural beliefs and the two decades Somali civil war frustrate the efforts of the Somali women. The lack of dignified status, high illiteracy rate and male dominance are just some of the culture –bound challenges women face in their day-to-day lives.
The two decades Somali conflict burdened women and children either directly or indirectly. Women and children top the war causalities in terms of deaths, injuries and displacements. Women experience role-overload as they take up roles that were previously played by men. For instance, women turned to be the bread winners and shouldered the responsibilities of educating their children. On the other hand, the civil war denied children access to basic education and unfortunately drug use, piracy, terrorism, human trafficking and child soldering were the only available inlets for the idle children in the war-torn Somalia.
Cultural dilemma facing the Diaspora communities leading to family disintegration, high divorce rate and children indulgence into social evils and crimes is an indirect effect of the Somali conflict. Also indirectly affected are women and children who greatly suffer in the journeys to their dreamlands. Not to mention the pathetic livelihood patterns some of them are forced to adopt like scrapping life out of prostitution and child labour in the foreign countries.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Peaceful reconciliations, ending the civil wars and stabilizing the political situation in Somalia in the efforts of establishing national governance structures are the only long term solutions to the problems facing the Somali women and children and the people living in Somalia in general. Concrete disarmament and integration programs spearheaded by the international community should be carried out to remove the children from the barracks and return them to their homes.
The entire local and the foreign stakeholders should not despair their peace-seeking missions in Somalia. They are called upon to continuously change their strategies to reflect the changing political landscape in Somalia and it is hoped Somalia will one day recollect itself from the ruins and stand on its feet.
Constitution has been cited as the most appropriate avenue where women concerns can be fully addressed. Being the supreme law, fundamental women rights including the right to own properties, the right to education and the right to participate in social and political activities should be enshrined in the document. In fact it was recommended that one third of all elected and appointed government positions should be reserved for women. Such affirmative action is vital for women representation in key government portfolios and thus women will play an integral role in the policy making and implementing process. Rwanda was mentioned as an exemplary case study where women are adequately represented in all government arms. For women rights and needs to be reflected in the constitution, they must be involved in the constitution making process right from the start in order for them to guard their interests.
To restore the rightful women status in the society and correct the perceptions and stereotypes against the Somali women, a thorough national civic education and awareness programs must be put into place. Programs touching on the roles of women, the challenges they face, the effects of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), the history of women status in Islam and the importance of girl-child education should be frequently relayed through the various media channels. Many local women rights organizations should be formed while also inviting the international women rights organizations to carry out sensitization programs about women issues in all parts of Somalia. Capacity building initiatives for women and women organizations ought to be prioritized in order to strengthen the civic education programs that are being rolled out.
Poverty is a major obstacle to the socio-economic and political wellbeing of the Somali women. All stakeholders minding the affairs of Somalia and in particular, the international community, must kick start and diversify elaborate poverty eradication measures to uplift the living standards of the affected people. Such programs would be of great importance to the Somali women who are economically empowered and thus extend their influence among the society members.
For the Children, access to free and compulsory education is a priority number one and specific attention should be given to the girl-child education. In order to boost the population of girls in the middle and higher learning institutions, affirmative action such as lowering the entry points for girls into these institutions should be introduced. Civic education and awareness programs should be used to sensitize the community to take the education of the girl-child seriously.
The autonomous states in Somali should be strengthened and accorded both material and technical assistance to combat children involvement in terrorism, piracy and drug networks. Civic education and awareness programs should also come in handy to deter children from these evil vices and also educate the community members on the dangers and risks of trying to illegally sneak into the foreign countries.