Tough economic and living conditions in Somalia have affected many. CCTV’s Abdulaziz Billow brings us the story of a woman with a thriving business in Mogadishu.
“We have now overcome all the obstacles that stood on our way. It’s time for the Somali women to rise up and be active. For the first time in years, we have a government, ” entrepreneur Fartun Ahmed said. Ahmed is the owner of a fashion store in Mogadishu. Ahmed runs her fashion store in a busy area of downtown Mogadishu, and she raises her family from the proceeds she makes here. She wants Somali women to take an active role in nation building, and her choice of idea was opening up a business center.“Women in Somalia are now taking up the role of the men. For various reasons women bear the biggest challenge. Women have for years raised their families since our men have died in the fighting. My message to other women is to create business ideas and play a part in the rebuilding of Somalia.”Tuesday is the world marked International Women’s Day. This years’ U.N. Theme is Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality. The government in Mogadishu said that it will give women a 30 percent representation.
The average Somali woman has for years been referred to as resilient.Despite the humanitarian, political and economic challenges, it’s not just women in the displaced camps, but also those in the Diaspora as well, who continue to provide for their families and return back to invest in Somalia.But what is evident is that women will at all times remain at the forefront of Somalia’s future. And with elections planned for later in September, women like Fartun hope that the Somali women will get fair representation both in parliament and government offices, and have a strong say in the decision making process.
CCTV
