Diaspora African Women’s Network

By DAWNer Solome Lemma

Born into a nomadic, pastoral family and motivate by love for the fragile, semi-arid landscape and the pastoral way of life, Fatima Jibrell of Somalia has dedicated her life to the preservation of the natural environment in Somalia. 

1n 1993, Fatima founded Horn Relief, a non-profit organization, to mobilize local and international resources for protection of the fragile pastoral environment in Somalia. In the late 1990s, Fatima organized and advocated against unrestricted use of charcoal in Puntland.  

Through Fatima's powerful advocacy, the Puntland regional government of northeast Somalia was persuaded to prohibit export of charcoal through the port of Bosasso in 2002. This has reduced charcoal exports by 80 percent.  In 2004, Fatima established Sun Fire Cooking to promote solar alternatives to charcoal cooking. Bender Bayla in Somalia is the first solar cooking village in the world. By 2007, Sun Fire had distributed over 1,000 solar cookers to villages.

I nominated Fatima for the National Geographic Conservation Award, which she received in 2008. When we met then, she told me she had just completed a first-hand assessment of the environmental degradation along the Somali coastline. She walked the coastline-a journey of about 100 miles, I believe-for days for this assessment. She was 60 or so at the time!

In an era when Somalia's public image has been reduced to conflict and piracy, Somalis need and deserve recognition of someone that represents their very best efforts in working for peace and restoring their ravaged natural, social, and political environments.

Fatima Jibrell has shown through her life and work that she represents the best aspects of Somali pastoralist culture, peace building, love for the natural environment, and belief in Islam as a religion of caring and commitment. A true African heroine!

By Semhar Araia


I came across a headline today on the internet which pretty much sums up my problem with our current approach to International Women’s Day.  It read:  “A Day For Women”.   

As I looked for more, I found endless statements, press releases and speeches of women’s rights not yet achieved, or coverage that either highlighted the ongoing suffering and violence against women.  I also found laudable attempts for recognizing women’s triumphs and sources of inspiration, like The Guardian’s great list of the Top 100 women and Newsweek & Daily Beast’ 150 Women Who Shake The World list.

Well what does it mean to have a “Day for Women”? If that’s all we can come up with for one day, what does that say about the other 364 days when the rest of the world returns to their normal activities?  Can my gender’s accomplishments really be embodied and recognized in one day or in a list of names? 

The obvious answer is no.

International Women’s Day is today and every day.

Millions of women and girls around the world overcome unimaginable challenges of poverty, sexism, and injustice on a daily basis to fight for their rights.  Women are the first victims of conflict and insecurity, as evidenced by the stories of rape and gender-based violence in various parts of the world.  Yet as we've seen recently in Egypt, Cote D'Ivoire, Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, these women are still strong enough to keep on fighting.  Some even manage to get an education or a a small loan to pick themselves and their families up out of poverty.

For those of us who are fortunate to live in peace, security and conflict-free environments, there are countless strides, contributions, and advancements being made at all various levels. Groups such as Solidarity for African Women’s Rights, Vital Voices, Femme Afrique Solidarite, My Sister's Keeper, Nobel Women's Initiative, Women for Women International, Women Inheritance Now Africa, Peace Women, NoWomenNoPeace and the African Women’s Development Fund are doing critical work everyday with partners throughout Africa and all over the world to advance women’s rights.  Also, the United States’ new Office for Global Women’s Issues in the State Department and the White House’s Council on Women and Girls signifies a growing trend from governments to incorporate gender justice and gender equality into their mainstream political agendas. 

Despite these success and achievements, the international community has yet to integrate notions of gender equality and justice into our everyday framework. If we are serious about putting women’s rights at the forefront of any agenda, then the language, tone and scope needs to change. And that starts with women.

As the motto of my organization, the Diaspora African Women’s Network, says, we believe that Change Starts with Women.  Women must use the great gift of fearlessness that we possess in everything we do.  We must own our stories, document them, share them and tell it to everyone we know. We must insert ourselves and lead in more conversations. We must expect more and explain to those in power how we want it done.

For real change, it requires the active participation, coordination and leadership from women and supporters of women's groups at all levels of society.  It requires diverse partnerships – not based on gender but based on equality.  It means exposure in media and on the web on a regular basis by all – through stories and narratives that show how women’s rights are everyone’s rights.

That was the first thing I learned as a child. It was my daily reality to see women pushing, owning and claiming for their independence, even when they weren’t given that power to do so.  My mother balanced a full time job, took care of the family, served as a leader in our community, and still managed to take care of herself through it all. She established her own business, met with elected US officials as a taxpaying American to seek their support for Eritrea’s thirty year struggle for independence, participated in local and national politics and still made time for my brother and I to have birthday parties, sleepovers and family visits.  She carried her voice as a woman, an African and a women’s health expert near and far.

So the sight of women, organizations, communities and leaders organized; demanding and expecting nothing short of justice and equality is exactly what the world needs to see and hear. 

To my sisters and supporters of women’s rights, expect more. Be fearless. And at all times, make yourself heard.

I will see to it that this is my mission 365 days of the year. 


Semhar Araia is the Founder and Executive Director of DAWN, the Diaspora African Women's Network.