The Contribution of Women to Peace and Reconciliation

On completion of my secondary school education and as I was waiting
for a University placement, the Somali conflict started. Prior to collapse
of the state and the civil war, we had a military-socialist government in
Somalia which provided free education for all. Women also had access
to health and employment, and enjoyed some level of “equality”. My
opportunity to continue my university studies was interrupted because
the militarized violence began at the end of the 1990, which led to the
total disintegration of the Somali state and its institutions. The rule of
law broke down, and anarchy and violence became the order of the day.
The violence displaced many Somalis around the world. My family lives
in various countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and North America.
Some of my aunts, uncles and cousins live in Somalia.
I fled together with some family members to Nairobi, Kenya, where I
became a refugee. In Nairobi, I was able to do some volunteer work
with the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) that led to a
one-year short-term employment.
In 1993, I left Nairobi for Canada for settlement and secured a one-year
scholarship through the Refugee Students Sponsorship Programme of
World University Service of Canada (WUSC), leaving behind family members
in Somalia and in Nairobi. The one-year scholarship enabled me to
do my undergraduate studies at the University of Winnipeg, Manitoba.
After completing my BA in 1998, I decided to pursue my graduate studies
in Inter national Development Studies at St. Mary’s University in Halifax,
Nova Scotia, where I obtained my MA. In 2001, I started my
doctoral studies in Women’s Studies at York University in Toronto. That
means that I lived and studied in three different regions of Canada, prob -
ably reflecting my nomadic heritage. I believe I fit everywhere and belong
to the world as a global citizen.
In June 2010, I finished my Ph.D. and went back to Nairobi, Kenya
where I once was a refugee, but this time I was a woman equipped with
education and experience. I returned to Africa because I wanted to make
my own contribution to Somalia, particularly to the advancement and
empowerment of Somali women and girls. This is not to say that I know
what is best for Somali women, but I want to be part of Somali women’s
efforts to building a safer and better Somalia for all.
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