To some, November 9th felt like the end of the road for the #ImWithHer movement, but in fact, it continues on. It saw victories in the House and the Senate this election cycle. Looking beyond the US borders, there are women presently campaigning for office and for change in other countries around the world. These women are keeping the momentum of this global movement alive, and some are doing it in very difficult circumstances and hostile environments.
I recently spoke with Fadumo Dayib, a woman who is challenging the status-quo by running for president of Somalia later this month, despite a biased 4.5 clan election system which puts voting power in the hands of select Somali clan leaders who, for the most part, do not recognize women or consider the voices of the youth.
Dayib’s story, a story she calls “the story of twelve million Somalis” is an excellent example of how the spirit and fight of the #ImWithHer campaign is playing out in another part of the world. With the Somalia election coming up, by showing solidarity for and highlighting Dayib’s fight to bring a new and equal order to Somalia, we can create a powerful and global network to elevate the platform of women who are working tirelessly to serve their communities and countries.
Fadumo Dayib grew up in Kenya and Somalia, and was taken out of school to help provide for her family as a teenager. When the Somali civil war broke out, Dayib was given refugee status in Finland with her younger siblings. It was in her new home, at the age of 14, that she finally learned to read and write. She would then go on to graduate from university, become a nurse, work for the UN, and, as of last year, graduate from the Harvard Kennedy School with a master’s degree in public policy, all while being a mother of four.
Dayib felt it was her duty to run for president of Somalia, not only to set an example for the women of her country and beyond, but also with the hope that by doing so, she will act as a catalyst for change. “Stepping forward is not about just me,” she states, “it is about challenging traditional practices, culture, the misinterpretation of religion, and many other things.” In a male-dominated society, the odds are stacked much more against Dayib than a woman running for office in many other parts of the world. “In Somalia,” she reflects, “we have a saying that a woman’s place is either at home or in the grave.” Dayib knows that Somali men perceive her existence as a danger. This, however, does not deter Dayib, but rather incentivizes her to keep going. “We are not going to negotiate our existence any longer, that time has gone. We are going to take our rightful place in society, and we are doing it.”
Globally, many women in positions of power are publicly scrutinized on very personal levels. This is true for Dayib, but more concerning, her life is constantly at risk. Though she is aware that by running for office she puts her life in danger and has already had many ‘close calls’, she continues to campaign, in hopes that women will take a formal and equal place in society. In talking about the risks she faces in Somalia and her decision to continue, she says with conviction “a coward dies a thousand deaths.” Dayib points out that that the media often does not present a balanced story about Somalia. “The story should not always be about misery and problems, but really also about the beauty of Somali people, particularly women.”
“Society is functioning because of women and that is something we want to put out. We are not victims, we are survivors.” Further, as Dayib notes, the story of Somali women is often overlooked. She credits women as the ones who mobilized the fight for Somalia’s independence indirectly, and the ones who are informally running the country in the private and public sector. “What we just want now is to formalize our place in society,” Dayib affirms. “We want to also sit at the highest level and take the country forward.” It is in part this under-acknowledgement by the media of women in Somali society that drives Dayib to run for office. “I want people, particularly the media, to take this story and understand that in a country like Somalia, with all the negative connotations attached to it - there is a woman running for President, one who is highly educated, qualified, and capable of bringing change.”
As Dayib faces her own struggle in the Somali elections, she is optimistic that “times are changing and the world will have a new order where women will be the leaders.” As the NY Times notes, women in more than 70 countries of varying socio-economic statuses, cultural influences, and religious affiliations have held the highest leadership posts, and two of the European countries, Germany and Britain, currently have women at the helm. Even in the U.S. presidential aftermath, there were other election-day victories to be had for women. The newly elected Congress will be the most diverse in its history, with 35 Democrat and three Republican women of color. Catherine Cortez Masto will be the first Latina senator, along with Kamala Harris as the first Indian-American woman in the senate, and Tammy Duckworth as the first Thai-American in the chamber as well. And, sharing the same heritage as Dayib, Somali-American Ilhan Omar was chosen to serve in the Minnesota House of Representatives, becoming the highest-ranking Somali to be elected into a U.S. office.
We should continue to proudly and loudly support Fadumo Dayib in her brave quest to be a catalyst for change in Somalia. Championing and highlighting the examples set by Fadumo Dayib, Hillary Clinton, and other women around the world gives the younger generations of women and girls hopes that they too can hold their own and effect change in male-dominated societies. This public and vocal support enables the message to resonate louder than before- that #ImWithHer is here to stay. When we reach across borders to celebrate the successes and missions of women leaders everywhere, we can place one country’s glass ceiling into context because, collectively, we can shatter a glass sky.