Tag: Bilan Media

Before dawn breaks over Mogadishu, Ajabo Abukar steps onto the cold, empty streets with a plastic broom in her hands, aware that every morning...

Women in Galdogob who contested in the May 25, 2023 local council elections faced significant challenges despite the introduction of the one-person, one-vote system. While the system created new opportunities for direct participation, many women struggled with limited understanding of the electoral process and strong competition from male candidates. As a result, only five out of 27 seats were secured by women. Nevertheless, this marks gradual progress and reflects growing support for women’s political participation in Puntland, offering hope for a more inclusive future.

Four years since its founding on 11 April 2022, Bilan Media has grown from a bold initiative into a powerful platform where Somali women are no longer just subjects of stories — they are the storytellers. Produced with support from UNDP Somalia and the European Union, the platform has trained young female journalists, published over 400 impactful stories, and reached millions of audiences across Somalia and beyond — all while championing women’s leadership, resilience, and visibility in a male-dominated field.

As Somalia’s first all-women media house, our newsroom is built on a simple but powerful idea: when women hold the microphone, the narrative changes. Stories emerge that were previously overlooked—not because they were unimportant, but because the people telling them were too distant from the communities living them.

In Mogadishu, caregiver Aadan Abdullahi Ali faces insults and rejection as he feeds stray dogs, revealing a deeper clash between fear, belief and compassion in Somali society.

Somali women face growing digital abuse, from online harassment to AI-altered images, in a country with no protective laws or rapid support systems, leaving many silenced and unprotected.

O Syrians, obey me as long as I obey Allah in your affairs,” he said. “By Allah, no one, no matter how powerful or influential, will be able to stand in our way.”