Sunday, January 27, 2013

Rethinking 42 with Ilham Hasan of Somaliland, first woman to be elected, who almost made it



I met Ilham Hasan on my recent trip to Hargeisa, Somaliland. I met her at Shaqodoon, an NGO, where she and her team are focused on harnessing the power of the Internet to develop the job market for the youth in the Somalia and Somaliland. Prior to Shaqodoon she was a presenter on television. However, the reason for this interview is to catch up with her after she ran for office as a representative of the city of Hargeisa, in Somaliland's Local Council. The Local Council, in Somaliland's complex political system, is one of the three layers of representative bodies, along with the Parliament and the Council of Elders. Not a bad career track record for a 25 year old Somali woman.