The impact of patriarchal culture on Somali women's participation in politics

Abdulkadir Mohamed Abdullahi, Kim Williamson and Mohamed Yusuf Ahmed

Development Policy Review, 2024, vol. 42, issue 2

Abstract: Motivation The political progress has been slow. The patriarchal clan traditions perpetuate gender discrimination, bestowing absolute priority upon all men for public affairs, while clan women remain voiceless, voteless, and restricted to private (household) affairs. Purpose To better understand why, despite the minimal formal constraints on women's participation in political life, informal institutions and customs determine the social, economic, and cultural constraints on women such that they are often poorly equipped and/or reluctant to participate in public political activity. Methods and approach Based on secondary literature, the article seeks to explain how the influences of the clan patriarchal system exert a negative impact on the political participation of Somali women. It identifies four structural categories, cultural, social, economic, and political, by which patriarchy has persistently impeded the participation of Somali women in the nation's politics. Findings Although women have contested the patriarchal system in Somalia through their participation in public decision‐making processes in different sectors and their participation in politics, including an increasingly higher level of education and more participation in the labour force, their numbers are still insufficient compared to men. Policy implications Given that patriarchy has been identified throughout the world as one of the main obstacles to women's participation in political and socioeconomic processes, there is a need for official quotas for women's representation in politics to balance severe gender inequalities, achieve full realization of human rights and influence the issues raised and how political policies are shaped. There is also a need for political representation to imprint their competence as decision makers. The article sets out recommendations for tackling the four main structural barriers to achieving this, so that women can fully contribute to the development of Somalia, on a par with men.

Date: 2024
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