Saciido Abdi, a Somali woman who says she has spent years searching for employment, has spoken about the difficulties and disturbing experiences she encountered while looking for work, including alleged demands from men who she says linked job opportunities to sexual relationships.
In an interview with Kaab TV, Saciido said she began searching for work in 2013 and, nearly 13 years later, was still looking for a job that could provide her with a stable income.
She said that during her search, she encountered men who allegedly made employment conditional on matters unrelated to the positions she was seeking.
According to Saciido, some men asked her to enter into personal relationships with them or meet them at hotels before they would consider offering her employment.
She said the experiences left her distressed and discouraged, but she continued looking for work because she needed an income to support herself.
Saciido said that although she has other skills, the prolonged search for employment eventually led her to consider jobs she had not originally planned to pursue, including cleaning work.
She said she visited various places where cleaners were being recruited, hoping that even a low-paying job would help her meet her basic needs. On several occasions, she said, she left offices without securing the work she had sought.
According to Saciido, people applying for cleaning jobs would sometimes leave their phone numbers with individuals who promised to contact them when an opportunity became available.
She alleged that some of the men who took her number later called her at night. Instead of discussing employment, she said, they would initially ask about her personal circumstances and health before inviting her to an office.
Saciido said some of those meetings eventually involved comments and requests she had not expected when she went there seeking employment.
Saciido described one encounter as particularly distressing.
She said a man initially took her phone number and later contacted her, leading her to believe that he had a job opportunity for her. When she went to his office, she said he told her that the work she wanted was available.
According to Saciido, the man later told her that he and she had an “understanding” and asked her to enter into a personal relationship with him.
She said she made it clear that she had gone to the office to find employment, not to offer her body in exchange for a job.
“I told him I did not come looking for a job to give him my body. I came because I needed work,” she said.
Saciido said she told the man that she was willing to perform the work if a genuine position was available, but would not accept other conditions in exchange for employment.
She said the man continued to describe the arrangement as an “understanding,” prompting her to leave the office feeling disappointed and distressed.
Saciido also recounted another incident involving a different man whom she said she approached about employment.
According to her account, the man told her he could help her obtain the job she wanted but first wanted to see her body. She said he subsequently asked her to meet him at a hotel, where, according to her account, he proposed that they spend time together.
Saciido said the man also suggested that he could marry her if she wanted a relationship with him.
She said she rejected the proposal because her intention was to work and earn an income, not to exchange employment for a personal or sexual relationship.
Saciido said she initially found it difficult to believe that other women had experienced similar situations.
However, she said her own experiences led her to discover that other women had also described being approached with demands unrelated to the jobs they were seeking.
According to Saciido, some women told her that men with access to employment opportunities or involved in recruitment had made similar propositions to them.
She described the issue as particularly difficult for people facing financial hardship, especially women who have few alternative sources of income.
Saciido also described an incident she said occurred at an office in Banaadir while she was seeking cleaning work.
She said a man initially told her that a job was available and took her phone number, promising to contact her. She returned to the office the following day.
According to Saciido, several other people were at the office when she arrived, and they remained there for nearly two hours. She said that after the others left, only she and the man remained.
Saciido alleged that the man then moved a chair closer to her and sat beside her. She said the situation made her suspicious because she had been waiting for a job opportunity and had not expected the interaction to take that direction.
When she asked what he intended to do, she said the man tried to reassure her, telling her that everything would be fine and that she would get the job.
She alleged that he later pointed toward a room and told her to go inside.
According to Saciido, when she attempted to leave, the man followed her, but she managed to get away. She said she subsequently blocked his number and decided not to contact him again.
Saciido said her experiences taught her that people seeking employment, particularly those facing financial hardship, can become vulnerable to individuals attempting to exploit their circumstances.
She argued that unemployment is not only an economic problem but can also expose people to difficult psychological and social situations.
She urged job seekers, particularly women, to exercise caution when individuals offering employment attach conditions that have nothing to do with the job itself.
Her account also highlights broader concerns about the challenges women can face when seeking employment.
A person applying for a job should have the opportunity to demonstrate their skills and qualifications, with recruitment based on relevant experience, competence and the requirements of the position.
When employment is allegedly made conditional on a personal or sexual relationship, the issue goes beyond ordinary recruitment and may warrant scrutiny by relevant authorities, particularly where allegations involve pressure, coercion or abuse.
Despite the experiences she described, Saciido said she has not given up on her search for employment.