Women are expected to keep their mouths shut here in Somalia. But not any more...

I really do not care whether men are interested in our stories or not. They are already well provided for by hundreds of other Somali media outlets if their only interest is politics and the endless, unproductive squabbling it involves.

Bilan’s target audience is society as a whole, not just middle-aged men.

Our media’s obsession with politics is like a disease. It contributes to Somalia’s everlasting conflict because so many journalists take sides, provoking hatred and deepening divisions.

It is sad that our country needs a women-only media house but that is the reality here. Women are expected to babble all they like in the kitchen but to keep their mouths firmly shut in public.

For the first time, we have a space where we feel safe, physically and mentally. Never before have Somali female journalists been given the freedom, opportunity and power to decide what stories they want to tell and how they want to tell them.

Full Article: Women are expected to keep their mouths shut here in Somalia. But n...

Comment by Bilal Mahmud المكافح المخلص on April 14, 2022 at 11:37am: Women working in the media in Somalia face multiple challenges, from being ignored and denied promotions to bullying and sexually harassment. “Men think you should come in, read the news and go home,” said Ibrahim, 27.

Bilan’s deputy editor, Fathi Mohamed Ahmed , 25, said sexual harassment was rife in the media sector and she has had to develop tactics to ward off advances from male colleagues. “The biggest challenge facing female journalists in Somalia is abuse, especially from male journalists,” she said. “They offer to help you but only if you give them something in return.”

Full Article: All-female newsroom launched in Somalia to widen media’s scope | So...