The first-ever all-women media house launched in Somalia
The first-ever all-women media house has been launched in Somalia, paving the way for female journalists to publish stories of their choice. The media house Bilan, has a team of six members, guided by a senior female producer. The team will have absolute authority in making editorial decisions.
The women working in media sector have been subjected to gender discrimination in many ways. They are often ignored or under appreciated, bullied or denied promotion solely based on their gender.
“We want to cover these issues and challenge societal beliefs that women should stay at home,” the editor-in-chief and a founding member of the Somali Women Journalist Organisation Nasrin Mohamed Ibrahim commented. “Men think you should come in, read the news and go home,” she added.
They often have to face sexual harassment from their male colleagues. Revealing the harsh reality of sexual harassment in the Somalian media sector, Bilan’s deputy editor, Fathi Mohamed Ahmed said, “The biggest challenge female journalists are facing in Somalia is abuse, especially from male journalists. They offer to help you but only if you give them something in return.”
Bilan is based in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, at Dalsan media group, which is one of the largest media organisations in Somalia. It is funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and is expected to be a year-long project. UNDP’s resident representative Jocelyn Mason believes that it will become a permanent set up soon. “We hope this will be a gamechanger for the Somali media scene, opening up new opportunities for women journalists and shining a light on subjects that have been ignored, particularly those that are important for women,” Mason added.
Apart from publishing news and features, Bilan also provides mentorship from reputed journalists such as BBC’s Lyse Doucet and Razia Iqbal, Channel 4’s Lyndsey Hilsum and Mohammed Adow at Al Jazeera for the aspiring female journalist. The best final-year female journalism students will receive six months internship at two universities in Mogadishu.
