Making Waves in Somalia: Yasmin

Yasmin is one of the few female drama writers in Somali society. For International Women’s Day, she shares how drama is helping raise awareness of issues affecting Somali women.

There aren’t many female writers in Somali society. Our poets and playwrights have traditionally been men.

I work with BBC Media Action as a writer for Maalmo Dhaama Manta (A Better Life than Today), an interactive radio drama for young Somalis. It’s rare for a Somali radio show to have even one female writer, but we have two! I feel proud when I watch the actors as they act out my lines, raising awareness of the very real problems faced by Somali women, including early marriage, migration, and lack of access to education and employment.

My favourite character is Ugasso, a beautiful and strong-willed woman who dreams of marrying a man from a different tribe. She wants, more than anything, to use her university education to change her life. It makes me happy to know that young listeners are inspired by the characters in the drama, whether it’s to continue their education or aspire to a better job.

In my spare time, I write theatre plays. All our theatres were destroyed by the war and I felt this left a hole in our culture. As a young mother, I want to keep the art of theatre alive for the next generation.

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