Puntland President Sa’id Abdullahi Deni has said the clan-based political system remains the greatest barrier preventing women from achieving meaningful political representation and leadership in Somalia.
Speaking at the opening of a three-day Puntland Women’s Conference in Garowe on Saturday, which focuses on women’s political leadership and inclusion in governance, President Deni acknowledged that although women have increasingly joined various sectors of the Puntland government, they continue to face significant challenges in accessing decision-making positions.
“We need to change our leadership culture. We are still in a recovery phase, and our traditional system is based on clans, where clan rivalry is common and women are often excluded from playing a meaningful role,” Deni said.
“I therefore call on women to strengthen their participation in the business sector, increase productivity, and intensify their advocacy efforts.”
Women’s political representation in Puntland remains extremely limited. The current Puntland Parliament has only one female member among its 66 lawmakers.
During the 2023 parliamentary selection process, clan elders—who nominate members of parliament under the traditional power-sharing system—were widely accused of blocking many qualified female candidates.
Deni urged women to broaden their political ambitions by contesting leadership positions at the local level and within state institutions.
“I encourage women to focus on key leadership positions such as mayoral offices and senior roles within the police service,” he said.
The president stressed that the clan system continues to favour male representation, making it difficult for women to compete politically.
“That challenge remains because many clans believe only men can represent them,” he said. “This is not an issue women can solve alone. Society as a whole must change. What we want to see is women leading local governments, heading police institutions, and taking greater responsibility in public leadership.”
Deni also called on women to strengthen solidarity among themselves and rethink their political strategies.
He argued that previous campaigns had focused primarily on women’s rights without sufficiently addressing broader public concerns, making it harder to attract wider electoral support.
He encouraged female politicians to adopt more inclusive campaigns that address issues affecting all communities rather than limiting their message to women’s issues alone.
The Puntland leader also highlighted the importance of media and advocacy, saying many women currently enter the media sector through entertainment, while stronger engagement in journalism, public debate, and advocacy is needed to place women’s rights and political participation at the centre of public discourse.
“Women need to become judges who can help resolve local conflicts. I am confident that if women stand united, no one will be able to break their collective strength,” Deni said, drawing loud applause from conference participants.
The conference brings together women leaders, civil society representatives, government officials, and activists to discuss strategies for increasing women’s participation in politics, governance, and public institutions across Puntland.