The Changing Attitudes Towards Traditional Gender Roles vis-à-vis Women of the Somali Diaspora : A Qualitative Analysis of How Migration has Championed for the Empowerment of Somali Diaspora Women Since 1991

Abstract: Somali women have suffered at the hands of the patriarchy for as long as they have known. It is well established that the civil war in 1991 created irreparable damage to the Somali people. Nevertheless, it opened doors for women to experience autonomy for the first time. The impact it has had on the men has been contrasting, causing them to separate from their manhood. This thesis aimed to determine how migration has solved the empowerment-disempowerment dichotomy Somali women have faced for centuries. To do this, we will explore the dynamics of maternal politics, using a concept referred to as political motherhood. We then utilised political motherhood and conducted a qualitative analysis using four semi-structured interviews with a prominent group known as the “Mothers of Rinkeby” internationally. These women have been working to prevent crime in Rinkeby. Our results show a considerable correspondence between fleeing Somalia and how women of the Somali diaspora long to dismantle the patriarchal values deeply ingrained in their culture. Meanwhile, the husbands and fathers are absent. We conclude that Somali diaspora women are not only empowered now, but they are working to change the flawed patriarchal system upheld in Somali culture.