Saturday, May 28, 2022
Ayaan Qarbe was born in the countryside of Eyl district, a
historic town that was once home to one of Somalia's anti-colonial leaders,
Sayid Mohamed Abdulle Hassan. Eyl is part of the Nugal region.
Her father was an officer with the Somali Chamber of
Commerce at the time, and her family moved to the Somali capital Mogadishu, and
after some time they relocated to Jariban district in the Mudug region of
central Somalia.
She completed her primary school in Jariban, but once again
her father was transferred to Mogadishu, where Ayaan completed her high school
education. When she finished high school, she already has chosen her career
path and what she wanted to do with her future.
Ayaan chose to join a college she had always dreamed of
serving her country in uniform, she joined Jaalle Siyad's military training
college, which produced most of the Somali National Army.
"After graduating from Jaalle Siyad Military College, I
started working in Mogadishu, and I was assigned to national service in
different regions of the country," said Ayaan.
While serving the nation, the central government of Somalia
collapsed. Then people started fleeing to different parts of the country and the
neighboring countries. This time, Ayan is a mother, she fled with her young
children to save their lives. She went to Bossaso.
Due to the difficult life after the collapse of the Somali
National Army, the country was in a state of war at that time, as she could not
work in her chosen career, Ayaan decided to take on a different job.
"I have never seen or come to Bossaso. I fled with two
children. I decided to open a restaurant to earn a living and support my
children. It was a tough situation, but I persevered," she reminisces.
A few years later, Puntland, the first regional
administration in the country, was established in 1998. Ayaan returned to the
army and joined the Puntland security forces.
During her time in the army and working in various cities,
Ayan served in many positions, she was selected in 2004 as a police trainer,
contributing over the years to the training of more than 10,000 troops from all
regions of Somalia who were trained in Carmo Police Academy.
With the collapse of the central government, the work of the
army was generally not easy, especially for a woman in many circumstances. The
first thing that surprised her was that society believes that a woman is not
good at military service and should stay at home.
Apart from the difficult circumstances, she shares with her
fellow military personnel, Ayaan faced prejudice due to society’s belief that
women are not fit to serve in the military.
"My husband was a scholar who understood the situation
I was working in. He did not challenge me but he supported me," said
Ayaan. "Motherhood itself did not stop me from doing my military
service," she added.
At the moment, women are part of the various branches of the
army, as well as part of the army leadership. Ayaan, who holds the rank of
Colonel, is one of the current leaders of the Puntland Police Force, in
particular, she was newly appointed as the Commander of Community Police.
She received the rank of colonel 7 years ago, for her long
service, knowledge and experience in the army. She was trained at the
prestigious Jaalle Siyad Military College, where most of the Somali army and
police officers graduated.
During her tenure, Ayaan also trained a large number of
female police officers, who now operate in all police stations in Puntland.
Ayaan wants to train and mentor more young girls who serve this job as she and
her peers will retire.
In addition to being a senior officer, Ayaan also
contributes to the protection of human rights, especially for women who are
victims of violence, including rape. She ensures that the alleged perpetrators
of these acts are brought to justice, so the victims of violence can get
justice, and that such acts can be stopped in the community. She earned various
honors for these her service.
Ayaan Abdullahi Qarbe decided to work on the development of
the army, to help produce a new generation of men and women who serve in
unifrom, and encourage women to be a major part of the armed forces of the
country.
Ayan sets an inspiring example for all Somali women and
girls who are despite battling many challenges are still committed to the
welfare of their families, communities, and nation.
Women In Media Initiative Somalia- WIMISOM
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.wimisom.org