EconomicImpactSomalia

In Somalia the culture is male centered, female labor is valued in household chores, farming, and in business in the cities, however the male is still seen as being in charge. The number of female-headed houses has increased due to drought, war, and male migration in the recent years. Somali women have gained more freedom to work, become educated, and to travel due to the efforts by the socialist regime to improve the opportunities of women. Before the 1969 revolution, 20% of primary school students were girls, in 1979 the figure approached 40%. Somalia has shown improvements to give the women more freedom and rights, however their culture sees the men as the leader of the women. In 2003 and 2004 the women lost their jobs because of a bad economy. Families invested in their sons because they had a better chance of helping the poverty stricken compared to the daughters. The amount of jobs were decreasing during this time until the drought. As a result of the male migration, more women have received jobs in the businesses located in the cities. The jobs and schools became like "heavens" to the women and children because the men went inland after the drought to seek livestock to replenish their stock of animals. The major drought in 2009 was a turning point for women because the men went inland to look for livestock, and water. When the men left there were many jobs that needed to be held. The women went into the businesses in the cities and got the jobs, this gave the women more rights then they have ever had. They needed to get money to feed their kids while the men were out looking for livestock to replenish their stock of animals.



This picture was taken during the major drought in 2009.