The Challenges We Address
Marginalized Somali women and girls face deep-rooted, systemic barriers shaped by generations of discrimination. These challenges continue to affect every aspect of their lives—limiting access to opportunity, safety, health, education, and leadership.
Marginalized Somali women & girls are overrepresented in low-paid and informal labor, particularly as domestic workers, where they often face exploitation, violence, and lack of legal protection. Despite a strong farming heritage rooted in the fertile river valleys of the Jubba and Shabelle, their livelihoods have been severely disrupted by drought, climate change, land grabbing, and forced displacement. Many families now live as internally displaced persons (IDPs), cut off from land, resources, and sustainable income opportunities.
Discrimination and poverty have resulted in extremely low literacy rates among marginalized Somali women and girls. Many communities such as Somali Bantu women lack schools entirely, and children are often subjected to stigma, dehumanization, and being labeled as “slaves.” Due to economic hardship and cultural norms shaped by exclusion, boys are prioritized over girls for education, while early marriage remains common—cutting short girls’ learning and leadership potential.
Marginalized women and girls face systemic discrimination in accessing quality healthcare. Poverty limits their ability to pay for services, and there is little to no health infrastructure built within their communities. Most women give birth at home without skilled birth attendants, increasing risks of maternal and infant mortality. There is limited capacity building, few opportunities for advanced medical training, and widespread discrimination in employment for health professionals. Language barriers with dominant clans further restrict access to safe and respectful care.
Despite their resilience and contributions, marginalized women and girls are routinely excluded from leadership and decision-making spaces. They face discrimination in the workforce, limited mentorship opportunities, and cultural discouragement that undermines women’s leadership. These barriers prevent women from influencing policies and systems that directly affect their lives and communities.
From historical enslavement to present-day exclusion, Marginalized Somali women and girls continue to experience discrimination at every level of society. Their realities are marked by poverty, insecurity, and systemic injustice—but also by resilience, strength, and the potential to lead transformative change when given equitable opportunity.