Somaliland’s First
Female Mayor Hailed As Success

When in 1887 Susanna Madora better known as "Dora" was
elected as the new mayor of Ar gonia, Kansas in United
States, Somaliland was in the hands of its colonial
master –Britain- w hich at the time was ruling most parts
of the world. Dora was a politician and activist and
be came the first woman elected as mayor and the first
woman elected to any political office in the United
States (United Nations 1960).
Khadra X. Ismail Yonis widely known as
Khadra X. Gaydh
has just become Somaliland’s first female mayor but
already she seems relaxed in her pioneering role as she
strolls around her community clad in traditional
beautiful Somali dirac (a flowing lightweight dress) and
a purple shalmad. She will be a good leader, just like
her father who was a successful businessman," says
Hussein Warsame, an elderly man wearing the traditional
white galabiyah robe, who made a point of climbing off
his donkey to greet the new mayor. "And besides, a woman
is in power in Germany," he adds with a smile.
Elizabeth Garrett Anderson graduated in 1865 as
Britain’s first women doctor (News of the World July
2011). Anderson had later gone to become the first
female mayor in England. Somaliland was in colonial coma
in this dark era and was not known to the world beyond
the Arab Peninsula. Khadra, a 46 year-old political
activist and councilor, voted against the form er mayor
to become a mayor of the predominantly male society in
the town of Gabiley in wes tern Somaliland. The former
mayor was accused of engaging in corrupt practices and
local embezzlement. The Somaliland’s National Audit
Office requested the Gabiley Local Council to strip the
mayor’s title and honour so as to put him on trail in a
court of law.
Khadra joined the ruling Kulmiye Party of President
Ahmed Silanyo in 2002 during the local governmental
elections. Khadra admits that things are moving slowly
for women in the male-dominated society. "I am the first
woman mayor, but believe me there will be others," she
said, pointing to a group of young girls around her.
The appointment of a woman to the top civic role in the
community of livestock breeders, defying the trend in
the increasingly conservative Muslim nation, was
confirmed by the interior ministry in May 2011. "I don't
believe it. I am the first woman mayor of Somaliland,"
she says as a band of children swarm around her, smiling
in admiration.
"My father stood for the parliamentary seat in this
district in 1969; I was born in this region. I was not
parachuted out of nowhere," said Khadra. She admits,
however, that the younger generation supported her more
than the old of the town of 30,000 people.
Her appointment has certainly shaken the norms in
Somaliland, where women lag far behind men in politics.
Although Somaliland was the first conservative Muslim
country to hold free, transparent and fair elections in
the last 2 decades, women’s progress in the public
sphere has been slow over the decades amid both
increasing conservatism and a moderate Islamic revival.
Despite the remarkable progress of women in many
professions in Somaliland, politics is not one of them.
Indeed, in Somaliland, women have been conspicuous by
their absence in decisi on and policy making in
government. When the United Nations First World
Conference on Wo men was held in Mexico City in 1975, the
international community was reminded that discrimi nation
against women remained a persistent problem in many
countries; and even though governments were called upon
to develop strategies to promote the equal participation
of women, political participation was not yet identified
as a priority. The concept of democracy in Somaliland
will only achieve true and dynamic significance when
political policies and nati onal legislation are decided
jointly by men and women with equitable regard for the
interes ts and aptitudes of both halves of the
population.
Today there are only3 female MPs in Somaliland's
155-seat parliament (both upper and low er house). Only
one was elected while the other 2 were appointed under
presidential decr ee. Khadra’s nomination as mayor echoes
a long tradition in rural Somaliland that administr ative
positions are handed down from father to son. "My mother
was unhappy when I was born because she had wanted a
boy," the new mayor recalled.
As a woman, and a Muslim, Khadra knew she would have to
face up to huge challenges as she battled her way into
the male-oriented politics of Somaliland, a Sunni Muslim
dominated country.
Poor infrastructure impedes access to resources and
markets in Somaliland. Khadra has alre ady taken some
drastic actions, she put new surface on damaged paved
roads in the town. She built new offices for the council
which previously had only one office and one meeting
ro om. I believe that Gabiley collects enough revenues,
if not surplus, therefore I have to think about our
hospitals, schools, roads, the environment and waste
management, she said. Khadra’s role and new post have
been hailed as a success by substantial local political
comm entators and her rating is now standing at a
staggering 72%.
The vast majority of women from all walks of life opted
for wearing scarves to cover their he ads in keeping with
a strict religious dress code; said Khadra, who insists
that citizenship sh ould prevail over tribal and clan
differences. "We must, first and foremost, proclaim
ourselve s as Muslim and Somaliland." She said.
Somaliland’s women community is said to account for an
estimated 40 to 55 percent of the country's 3.5 million
inhabitants.
By Ahmed Ali
Birmingham, England
Ahmed Ali is a freelance writer and a political activist
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