Pioneering Women: Breaking Ground in Somalia's Construction Industry

Women engineers break barriers amid Somalia construction boom

Defying Norms and Building the Future, One Brick at a Time

Pioneering Women in Somalia

In the bustling heart of Somalia’s revitalizing capital, a construction frenzy paints a picture of progress. Amidst this renaissance stands Faduma Mohamed Ali, a 22-year-old civil engineer defying norms and breaking barriers in this conservative nation.

From overseeing laborers twice her age to challenging societal stereotypes, Faduma’s journey has been marked by resilience and determination. Even in the face of skepticism and opposition, she never wavered in her choice of profession. As the sole woman in her civil engineering class, doubts from her family were quick to arise.

“They said, how can a girl waste time to study civil engineering? … This is work for men.”

These remarks persisted even after she completed her studies and secured a job in Mogadishu, Somalia. The disbelief echoed louder.

“They used to ask — are you crazy?”

In a country where women make up less than a third of the workforce, according to the World Bank, the idea of daughters working alongside men is met with resistance by many parents. Abdikafi Hassan Duale, a father of six, expressed the prevailing sentiment:

“I would not have (wanted)… my daughter to work at a construction site with men, this is not for women. I would rather she chose… a female-dominated profession… for their safety and protection from social harassment.”

Yet, winds of change are blowing. Fathi Mohamed Abdi, the first civil engineer in her extended family, found robust support from her parents.

“They started encouraging me in this while I was studying, and they have continued to do so now that I am working,”

the 23-year-old shared, highlighting a heartening shift in attitude.

Her parents even take an active role in ensuring she gets to work on time.

“They even ‘wake me up in the morning when I oversleep (so I can) get to work,” she added.

Though Abdi was one of only two women in her civil engineering class, her choice is paying dividends as construction activity surges in the region.

“Due to the growing investment in the construction industry in our country, we are getting so many opportunities,” she said.

Hassan Mohamed Jimale, the deputy mayor of public affairs in Mogadishu, echoed this sentiment, emphasizing the government’s push for increased female participation in the workforce, particularly in city planning.

“We encourage female engineers as a regional administration, the department in charge of city planning (employs) female engineers, and the deputy director of the department is female,” he said.

However, despite these positive strides, women in engineering face persistent sexism in the workplace. They grapple with prejudiced opinions and perceptions of their capabilities.

“The talk and bad impression people have of us as female engineers disappoint me most. Men… the laborers show insubordination when supervised by female engineers and they believe we are weak compared to men,” one engineer lamented. Additionally, she highlighted the existence of a gender pay gap, particularly within the private sector.

“Men and women are not paid equally… women are paid less than men in most cases, particularly by private companies,” she asserted.

Abukar Hussein Ibrahim, a seasoned mason who has worked under Abdi’s supervision, shared that he personally enjoys working with women. However, he admitted that many of his male peers hold a different view.

Women engineers break barriers amid Somalia construction boom

“Male construction laborers find it incredible to see a female engineer supervising their work, they spend a lot of time gossiping about her… they keep asking why a woman was chosen instead of a man,” the 42-year-old explained.

Nonetheless, engineer Ali is resolute in her belief that these perceptions will evolve. She points to a surge in the number of women pursuing civil engineering.

“I was part of a group training recently and to my surprise, there were more than 100 girls from different institutions and all of them had enlisted to study civil engineering,” she said. “That was rare before but now things are changing.”

Faduma Mohamed Ali and her peers are not merely shaping skylines; they are also reshaping societal norms and setting a new standard for the women of Somalia. Through their persistence and passion, they are forging a more inclusive future for the field of engineering in their country.

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