Muslim women in Somalia subverting the traditional ways of life

Somaliland women are challenging the rules of Islamic society and taking up independent working style to support themselves and their children. One visit to the market place in Hargeisa says it all. Trying to cope up with the daily needs, women are increasingly laying hands in different ventures and clothing business is the most popular one. Women emancipation in the capital has taken a U Turn after the fall of the nation’s dictatorial rule in the year 1991. Due to the sudden crisis in the economy of the nation, the men folks had no jobs and thus came the excellent opportunity for women community. Harowo reports A large chunk of women are running textile shops and earning enough to support their family. 38-year-old Amina Jama and five more women are working together and producing colorful cloths and they are getting good results. Some other women are working as vegetable vendors, selling fruits, opening tailoring shops and even beauty parlours. Shamis Barre, a member of the Humanitarian organization ‘CARE’ has helped a lot in grooming the Somali women in direct marketing skills. She further said that men are too proud to do jobs such as selling things and working in a tailor shop, but the Somali women are too practical to care for such trivial matters. Since the outbreak of the civil war, most of the men are unemployed and this has given the women a chance to stand on their own overthrowing the age-old tradition of Islam religion that women cannot take up any job.