Their presence in the media is essential for delivering diverse voices and ensuring a balanced representation of both men’s and women’s voices in journalism programming.

However, they continue to face significant challenges.

Beyond low or unpaid salaries, female journalists in Somalia encounter societal pressures that often downplay their role or consider journalism an unsuitable profession for women, believing they should remain at home.

Amiiro Suleiman, a journalist at Kaab TV, shared her experiences, stating that Somali society remains largely intolerant of women working in the media.

“The public still does not fully accept female journalists, although there has been some progress,” Amiiro told Kaab TV.

Advocating against harassment and stigmatisation

Last week, the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) concluded a training session in Mogadishu attended by female journalists from the regional states and Mogadishu.

With support from Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI), SJS brought together women advocating for human rights who have had limited access to training opportunities, aiming to strengthen their skills.

Kawsar Barkhadle, a journalist from Radio Gedo in the town of Doolow, Gedo region, is among those striving to overcome barriers.

Insecurity remains a major issue in Gedo, with Al-Shabaab controlling rural areas and restricting women from working or moving freely.

“Becoming a journalist was my passion, but I faced significant pressure. Even my own family initially discouraged me, labeling my profession as inappropriate,” Kawsar said.

She started her journalism career in 2021 but faced severe social pressure, leading her parents to urge her to quit.

However, through persistence, she managed to convince them of the importance of her work.

Women journalists often face verbal abuse and are accused of violating cultural and religious norms, with some even being labeled derogatory terms such as “being prostitutes’.

This societal pressure has led some women to leave the profession entirely to avoid public criticism.

Anfa Aden Abdi, SJS’s Gender Secretary, has personally experienced these challenges.

As a journalist and advocate for women’s rights, she now leads initiatives supporting female journalists by providing training and fighting for their labor rights and safety.

“We have started engaging media managers to ease the pressure on female journalists and to repeatedly educate society on the importance of their role,” Anfa said.

She emphasized that women’s contributions to the media are just as vital as those of men.

“I also urge female journalists to keep pushing forward and not to bow down to pressure. Yes, we are women, and we can do it,” she added.

Self confidence, continuous learning, and skill development have been identified as key factors that can help female journalists secure their rights and advance in their careers.

The post Somali Women Journalists Struggle Against Challenges to Amplify Their Voices appeared first on Kaab TV.

However, recurrent droughts caused by climate change and the subsequent seizure of Al-Shabaab by the rural villages forced Sahro and her children to flee to an internally displaced persons (IDP) camp in Baidoa, the interim capital of South West State.

Today, this camp is their home.

Climate change, which has devastated farmlands and led to massive livestock losses, has hit rural families hardest—especially women with children.

These challenges have plunged many into extreme poverty and hardship.

As the sole provider for her family, Sahro has taken on unconventional work for women in Somalia, such as construction labor, to make ends meet.

“When people arrive at IDP camps, they face a harsh reality,” Sahro says. “There’s no consistent aid, and most of us have to find daily jobs in the city just to feed our families.”

Each morning, Sahro heads to a construction site, where she carries heavy stones and cement.

Her hard day’s labor earns her a small wage of upto three dollars, which she uses to buy food for her children. In the evening, she returns to her makeshift shelter in the camp, where her children wait eagerly for her to prepare a meal from her earnings.

A Nation in Crisis

According to the United Nations, nearly four million people are internally displaced in Somalia as of 2024, driven by conflict, insecurity, drought, and floods.

Regions like Baay, Bakool, and the Shabelle River valleys—once the breadbasket of Somalia—now face widespread hunger due to environmental degradation.

For families like Sahro’s, displacement is not just a temporary hardship but an ongoing struggle to survive in camps that lack basic services such as healthcare and education.

The temporary nature of these camps exposes women and children to heightened risks, and the hope of returning home remains dim as conflicts continue and climate change worsens.

Sahro reflects on her life before displacement, unaware at the time of the environmental toll caused by charcoal production—a practice that contributed to the deforestation and environmental degradation now devastating her community.

The destruction of her environment led to the death of her livestock, forcing her and her children into displacement.

For Sahro and countless others, survival now depends on adapting to urban livelihoods while clinging to the hope of one day returning to their ancestral lands—a hope that grows fainter with each passing day.

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Reporting by Nurto Mohamed in Baidoa. This report is part of climate change coverage in Somalia by local journalists participating in a training program provided by the Somali Journalists Syndicate (SJS) with support from Medico International.

The post Sahro Mohamed Ali: From Charcoal Burner to Construction Worker in Baidoa appeared first on Kaab TV.