Looking Back to Move Ahead- a Somali Photo Essay
“Somalia used to be a place of tolerance. Women did not have to worry about a dress code. They could even wear short dresses if they wanted and were not forced to cover their hair. The two women in this photo would not have been judged indecent at that time.”
-Amina, Somali activist
“In the past, it was acceptable for unmarried young women to go outside as shown on this picture. They would just cover their shoulders. Married women, however, had to cover their hair according to the tradition. Today, Somali women from the time they are 6 years old are required to cover their body from head to toe. This is a new phenomenon completely distinct from the Somali culture which started 25 years ago when Islamic fundamentalists began promoting Arab-Persian attire as a religious requirement.”
-A Somali writer, Nairobi
The picture above shows girls playing basketball before the Somali Civil War. During these years, basketball was a sport played by many girls and women in Somalia. Physical education was part of the school curriculum and students (boys and girls) were required to play a variety of sports such as basketball, volleyball, and handball.
Unfortunately, after the war, it became haram (forbidden) for girls and women to play any sport as clerics across the country gained influence and imposed Sharia law. Besides sports, religious hardliners worked hard – particularly in the areas controlled by extremist groups – to segregate genders on the basis of economic, social and cultural differences. Those clerics did not allow women to contribute to any nation building initiatives. They reduced women to objects whose only role was to stay home and rear children. It should also be noted that the Islamic culture does not prevent women from engaging in social activities. These restrictions were originally part of the Persian-Arabic culture and were a sign, at that time, of social class.
A Somali writer, Nairobi
The two ladies pictured here are not wearing Somali national traditional dress. They are wearing a long loose dress which has nowadays largely replaced the national traditional costume for women. This type of dress has been copied from neighbouring Yemen. It is very casual and easy to put on. The material is readily available in contemporary Somalia, and there are many choices in terms of colour and design.
A woman activist, Somaliland
From Women in Islam Issue 3 (2017)