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The art of self expression: Supporting Somali women to tell their own stories

UNDP waxay kala shaqaynaysaa Somali Art Foundation oo ah (Xarunta Fanka casriga ah ee Soomaaliyeed) in la isku keeno gabayada haweenka, sawirrada iyo muuqaallada si loogu sameeyo bandhigyo. 

Dumarku waxay nolosha u arkaan si ka duwan ragga, marka waa muhiim in ay sheekooyinkooda sheegaan,” ayay tiri Zaima Cabdi Cali, oo kamarad gacanta ku haysa, iyada oo dhoolla-caddayn wajigeeda ka muuqato. Zaima oo barata xanaanada xoolaha ee sanadkii u danbeyay ee Jaamacadda ayaa waxay aqabkii caafimaad ku bedelatay barashada xirfadda sawir qaadista iyo muuqaal sameynta, waxa ayna ka qeyb qaadaneysaa mashruuc cusub oo ay wado hay’ada UNDP oo kulmisay 15 haween oo kala duwan oo xiiseeya gabayada, sawir qaadista iyo sameynta filimada si ay u bartaan xirfado cusub oo ay u soo bandhigaan arrimaha ay u arkaan inay muhiim yihiin.

Qaar ayaa khibrad u leh fanka muuqaalka ah ama waa abwaanno dhameyrtiran, qaar waa bilow, laakiin dhammaan waxay isku raacsan yihiin in dumarka adduunka ku nool doorkooda la liido inta badana codkooda la qariyo, taasina waxay u baahan tahay in dumar badan qalinka iyo kamarada qaataan oo la xaqiijiyo in aragtida dumarka tixgelin sax ah la siiyo

“Soomaaliya si fudud kuma noqon kartid adigoo gabar ah in aad filim sameeyso,” ayay tiri Saamiya Cusmaan, oo ka mid ah labo tababare ee mashruuca ka caawinaya haweenka inay horumariyaan xirfadahooda sawir-qaadista iyo muuqaalka. “Isla marka lagugu arko adigoo kaamero wadata, waxaad maqleysaa dadka ku leh” kaamiro-maan, kaamiro-maan “kadibna way kaa xanaajinayaan oo waxaad ku celineysaa, “Ma ihi kaamiro-maan ee waxaan ahay gabar sawir qaade ah”.

 

Mararka qaarkood dumarku waxay la kulmaan wax ka badan in luuqad xun loogu waco ama loogula dhaqmo. Xataa saxafiyiinta xirfadleyda ah ee ka shaqeeya xarumaha warbaahineed waxay ka cawdaan hagardaamooyinka dhanka shaqada ah iyo in la iska indho tiro marka ay timaaddo go’aan ka gaarista barnaamijyada la tebiyo iyo qaabka loo tebinayo. Dumarka adduunka oo dhan waxay la kulmaan caqabado raggu aan la kulmin – laakiin caqabadaas ee gabdhaha la kulmaan Soomaaliya aad ayay ugu badan yihiin.

“Saxaafadda Soomaaliyeed waa deegaan colaadeed oo ay ku shaqeeyaan gabdhaha saxafiyiinta ah,” ayay tiri Laylo Cismaan oo ah guddoomiyaha ururka u dooda xuquuqda suxufiyiinta haweenka Soomaaliyeed, iyadoo ku sheegtay warbixin dhawaan ay sameysay hay’adda UNDP. “Waxaan ka xumaaday bulsho aaminsan in doorka haweenku yahay in ay guriga joogaan, cunto kariso oo ay carruur hayaan.”

Dhanka farshaxanka, sheekadu waa la mid. VoA ayaa dhawaan sheeko ka sameysay Sana Ashraf Sharif Muhsin, oo ah gabar sameysa farshaxanka oo shaqadeedu ay tahay mid cajiib ah oo aan caadi ahayn. Bare wax ka dhiga Jaamacadda Ummadda Soomaaliyeed oo sheekada soo xigtay ayaa sheegay in uu garanayo hal gabar oo keliya oo farshaniste ah dalka ka shaqeyso.

Maansooyinka ama gabayada, rajo wayn ayaa jirta. Haweenka Soomaaliyeed ayaa waligood lahaan jiray cod ay kaga hadlaan dhinacyada nolosha iyadoo sannadihii la soo dhaafay, ay jirtay isbeddello dhanka teknolojiyadda ah – Cajaladihii ugu horreeyay iyo raadiyaha iyo hadda internetka – ayaa furay waddooyin cusub oo ay shaqadooda ku gaari karaan dad badan – oo ay ka mid yihiin, kuwii ugu dambeeyay. Madal cusub oo ay bixisay Hay’adda UNDP oo ah WHAT WE DO iyo Abaalmarinta Gabayada Soomaaliyeed ee sanadlaha ah ee ay taageerto UNDP. Laakiin gabyaayada dumarka ayaa weli dhibaato ka jirtaa in ay helaan ixtiraam la mid ah tan ragga.

Si tartiib ah, goobta ciyaarta ayaa noqoneysa mid aad u heer sareysa – qayb ahaan waxaa ku mahadsan shaqada ay hayaan qorayaasha haweenka ah, sawir qaadayaasha, filim sameeyayaasha iyo farshaxannada kuwaas oo horeyba u soo saarayay shaqooyin muhiim ah. Laakiin rajada mashruucan ayaa ah in la dedejiyo habkaas iyada oo loo oggolaanayo dumar badan oo karti leh in ay qaataan ama horumariyaan qoraalkooda iyo duubista filimada iyo sheekooyinka farsamada ee soo jiidanaya daawadayaasha.

Tababare Saamiya, oo uu weheliyo Sharmaarke Cali Aadan oo ah sawirqaade dhanka Fashion-ka iyo tifaftire oo deggan London, ayaa siiyay tababar 15 qof oo ka faaideystay mashruucan oo qaatay toddobaad, waxaana la baray sawir-qaadista, duubista filimada iyo soo-saaridda filimada, waxayna u kuur-galeen arrimaha iyaga ugu muhiimsan iyo sida ay ugu qaban lahaayeen sheekooyin, sawiro iyo muuqaallo filim ah.

Amaal Maxamed oo ah ganacsade leh meherad u gaar ah oo lagu iibiyo waxyaabaha la is ku qurxiyo, ayaa go’aansatay in ay daboosho caqabadaha haysta haweenka samaystay shirkado ay iyagu leeyihiin. Sagal Ibraahim, ayaa iyudana ka shaqeysa dhinaca kale ee dhaqaalaha: dumar kale ayaa ka shaqeeya suuqa maxaliga ah ee iibinta khudradda si ay u helaan wax ku filan maalin kasta si ay u quudiyaan naftooda iyo qoysaskooda, kuwaas oo ay ugu yeertay Sagal “haweenka ku jira halganka nolasha”. Falastin oo ka mid ah abwaannada ka qayb qaadanaya mashruuca ayaa soo jeedinaya filim kooban oo ka hadlaya shaqada qarsoon ee hooyada. Mawduucyada kale waxaa ka mid ah saaxiibtinimada iyo xiriirka haweenka iyo khatarta kareemada maqaarka-cadeeya iyo fikradaha quruxda ee lagu iibiyo internetka.

“Waxay ahayd mid aad u xiiso badan, markaad isu keento dad kala duwan oo aad u xamaasadeysan oo u baahnaa fursad ay ku heli karaan meel ammaan ah oo ay ku soo saaraan hal-abuurkooda laakiin sidoo kale wax ku bartaan,” ayay tiri Sagal Moahmed Ali, oo ah aasaasaha Somali Art Foundation oo UNDP iska kaashanayaan mashruucan,  Mu’asasada Fanka Casriga ah ee Soomaaliyeed, oo ah hay’ad faneedkii ugu horreysay ee Soomaaliya ee madax-bannaan, oo la aasaasay 2020 si ay u taageerto fanka Soomaaliyeed ee casriga ah.

Qaybtii ugu horeysay sawirrada ayaa la soo saaray waxaa lagu muujiyay bandhig online ah oo la yiraahdo “Anigoo adeegsanaya Kaamiradeyda”, ayaa lagu marti galiyay https://www.somaliartsfoundation.org/through-my-lens. Intaa ka dib, haweenku waxay sii wadi doonaan shaqadooda si ay ugu diyaar garoobaan bandhigga lagu sameyn doono  Muqdisho horraanta 2022.

Hadafka mustaqbalka fog ee Saamiya ayaa ah in ay aragto haweenka qaatay koorsada oo si xirfadeysan u noqda sawir qaadayaal xirfad leh iyo filim sameeyayaal oo ku shaqeysta xirfadda . Taasi ma dhici doonto habeen kaliya, laakiin inta ka horaysa, bandhigyada muqaalada ee internetka iyo goobaha kale ayaa siin doonaan fursad dadka ay ku arkaan shaqada aan inta badan la soo bandhigin oo iyagu soo saaraan – oo ay ku arkaan qaab cusub oo haween u soo saareen,  dhab ahaantii, haweenku waxay qaadi karaan agabka wax lagu duubo waxayna soo saari karaan sheekooyin iyo sidoo kale muuqaalada iyo sawirada ay ragguba soo saaraan.

Si aad u aragto natiijada bilowga ah ee mashruuca booqo https://www.somaliartsfoundation.org/through-my-lens ama ka akhri www.so.undp.org. Si aad wax badan oo uga ogaato gabayada dumarka una baartso kaydkayaga soo koraya ee waxqabadka gabyaayada haweenka, booqo Hoyga Maansada Soomaaliyeed ee www.hoygamaansada.com. Wixii ku soo kordha fanka Soomaalida iyo si aad u aragto shaqooyin hore oo ay soo saareen haweenka fanka ka eeg www.SomaliArtsFoundation.org.

The art of self expression: Supporting Somali women to tell their own stories

UNDP is working with the Somali Arts Foundation to combine women’s poetry, photography and filmmaking in powerful online and offline exhibitions.

“Women see life differently to men, so it’s important they tell their own stories,” says Zaima Abdi Ali, camera in hand, a smile on her face. A veterinary student in her final year, Zaima has swapped the medicine cabinet for the digital darkroom and is taking part in a new UNDP project funded by the SDG Facility that brings together 15 women from a range of backgrounds who are interested in poetry, photography and filmmaking to learn new skills and document the issues they find important.

Some have experience in visual arts or are established poets, some are complete beginners, but all agree that in a world where women’s voices are often drowned out, there is a need for more women to take up the pen and the camera and make sure their perspectives are given proper consideration.

“You can’t be a female filmmaker in Somalia easily,” explains Samia Osman, one of two trainers on the project who are helping the women improve their photography and video skills. “As soon as you take a camera out, you hear people saying “cameraman, cameraman” and then you get annoyed and you say back to them, “I’m not a cameraman, I’m a camerawoman.”

Sometimes women have to face more than just name calling. Even professional journalists working for established media houses complain of harassment at work and being ignored when it comes to decision making on what stories get covered and how. Women the world over face barriers men don’t have to deal with just to do their jobs — but in Somalia those barriers can be particularly high.

“The Somali media is a hostile environment for female journalists,” explained Laylo Osman, chair of the Somali Women Journalists Rights Association in a recent assessment done for UNDP. “They are frowned upon by a society that believes a woman’s role is to stay at home, cook and have children.”

In the arts, the story is the similar. The VoA recently ran a story on Sana Ashraf Sharif Muhsin, a woman artist who’s work is remarkable partly for being so unusual. An arts professor at Somali National University quoted in the story said he knew of only one other female artist working in the country.

In poetry, things are more promising. Somali women have always had a voice to speak about some areas of life and over the years, changes in technology — first tapes and radio and now the internet — have opened up new channels for their work to reach a wider audience — including, most recently, a new platform provided by UNDP’s Home of Somali Poetry initiative and the UNDP-supported annual Somali Poetry Awards. But women poets still struggle to get the same respect as their male equivalents.

Gradually, the playing field is becoming more level — partly thanks to the work of the women writers, photographers, filmmakers and artists who are already producing great work. But one hope for this project is to speed that process along by allowing more talented women to take up or improve their writing and shooting and craft stories that move an audience.

Trainer Samia, together with Sharmaarke Ali Adan, a London-based Somali fashion and editorial photographer, has taken the 15 participants in the project through an intense week of preparation where they learned photography, videography and post production and explored what issues are most important to them and how they could capture them in words, images and film.

Amal Mohamed, an entrepreneur with her own cosmetics business, decided to cover the challenges faced by women who set up their own companies. For Sagal Ibrahim, the subject has been women at the other end of economics: those who work in the local market selling fruit and just manage to make enough each day to feed themselves and their families, who she calls “women in survival mode”. Falastin, one of the poets taking part, is providing the narrative for a short film on the hidden work of motherhood. Other themes include friendship and connection among women and the danger of skin-whitening creams and beauty ideals pushed online.

“It’s been so exciting and so much fun, you know, when you bring a group of people together who are so passionate and who just needed an opportunity to be able to have a safe space to engage their creativity but also learn,” says Sagal Mahamed Ali, founder of UNDP’s partner on the project, the Somali Arts Foundation, Somalia’s first independent arts institution, set up in 2020 to support contemporary Somali art.

The first set of photographs to be produced are being shown in an online exhibition called “Through My Lens”, hosted at https://www.somaliartsfoundation.org/through-my-lens, launching 28th December. After this, the women will continue to refine their work in preparation for a physical exhibition in Mogadishu in early 2022.

Samia’s long-term goal is to see women from the course start to work as professional female photographers and filmmakers. That’s not going to happen overnight, but in the meantime, the online and offline exhibitions will give a change for people to see work on subjects that don’t usually get covered — and see them through a new set of female eyes showing that yes, in fact, women can carry equipment and they can capture stories as well as any “cameraman” out there.

To see the initial results of the project head to https://www.somaliartsfoundation.org/through-my-lens or www.so.undp.org. To read more about women’s poetry and explore our growing archive of the work of women poets, visit the Home of Somali Poetry at www.hoygamaansada.com. For more on the Somali arts scene and to see previous work produced by women artists check out www.SomaliArtsFoundation.org.

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