Asha Hagi Elmi on Somalia

Once in a while I encounter a person whose strength and passion for a cause inspires me. This happened recently when I attended a talk by Asha Hagi Elmi, a woman I believe every African, every Muslim and every Woman should know about.

Asha Hagi Elmi is an international peace activists who focuses primarily on her homeland Somalia. She is a member of parliament and was a key player in the push to promote women's representation in the Somali government. Her efforts have earned her several awards, including the Clinton Global Citizenship award and a nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Asha founded the Sixth Clan, an organization of Somali women who seek to break through the patriarchal structure of the Somali traditional clan system, and current government. The Sixth Clan successfully pushed through a quota system for womens representation in Somalia's parliament. The quota started out at 25 women- which at such a time when no women were in parliament, was thought an ambitious goal. Today, there are 33 women in Somalia's parliament, and 3 female cabinet-level ministeres. This progress was made possible by the hard work and restless dedication of Asha Hagi and the women in her organization.

Asha stated at the talk that her group "gives voice to the voiceless". She was able to do this because of her determination and drive. She could be told no a hundred times over, but that never stopped Asha and her group from pushing their cause forward.

What I particularly enjoyed about Asha's talk was how she didn't focus too narrowly on the plight of women in Somalia, even though women's issues are especially popular among western audiences. Asha successfully described the conditions in Somalia today as being disastrous for men, women, boys, girls, the old and the young. All Somalis face a humanitarian disaster and require emergency assistance.

She called Somalia today a case of "neglected humanity". The world stands by as the Somali people suffer largely in silence. Their stories are going untold. The only popular news coming out of Somalia involves terrorism and piracy, while little attention is given to starvation, famine and poverty.

Asha made the astute link between the lack of opportunities of Somali youth and the desire to become pirates or insurgents. She stated "If a mother cannot feed with one meal her seven sons, she has no control over them." These boys go out to find their own food, their own livelihood. And consequently, are drawn into piracy and insurgent activity as a means of living. This is the tragedy Somali youth face.

Looking forward, Asha emphasizes education and economic empowerment as mechanisms to move Somalia forward. These are wise strategies because they do not necessarily require a functioning central government, and so can be carried out at any point. The problem with many strategies for Somalia is that they often require a functioning central government, and suddenly, the focus becomes one of state-building rather than peace-building.

Asha is an inspiration to me and many others. Her work is valuable, but she is getting older. There is a need for a new generation of Somali women to take the lead and continue the good work Asha has begun.