The aftermath of Somalia’s devastating civil war placed women at the center of recovery and rebuilding. With formal state institutions weakened or absent, women stepped into leadership roles at the community level. They organised grassroots networks to provide support for families, displaced people, and vulnerable groups, often focusing on immediate needs such as food, shelter, and basic healthcare.
Economically, women became essential drivers of recovery. Through small-scale trade and income-generating activities, they provided for households and helped restore community stability. Their entrepreneurial initiatives not only sustained families but also created new forms of economic participation that challenged traditional gender roles.
Women’s contributions extended beyond the household and marketplace. They became active in civil society organisations, advocating for education, healthcare, and humanitarian aid. Their activism often highlighted the specific needs of women and children, ensuring that recovery efforts addressed family welfare as well as broader community concerns. In the political sphere, women pressed for representation and participation in peace processes and governance. Although patriarchal structures continued to limit their presence in formal leadership, their voices grew louder and harder to ignore.
Recovery was not without challenges. Persistent insecurity, lack of institutional support, and limited access to resources constrained women’s ability to expand their roles. Cultural expectations and entrenched patriarchal norms also remained barriers to equality. Yet, necessity had empowered women, and their expanded responsibilities during and after the war transformed them into key agents of resilience.
The Somali diaspora further amplified women’s roles in recovery. Women abroad mobilised resources, sent remittances, and raised international awareness of Somalia’s situation. Their efforts connected local recovery to global support, bridging communities across continents.
In sum, Somali women became indispensable actors in post-war recovery, shaping the future of their communities through economic innovation, civil society activism, and persistent advocacy for inclusion. While challenges of exclusion and inequality persisted, women’s contributions demonstrated their central place in rebuilding Somalia from the ground up.