33 Countries of Origin’ Profiles

5 SOMALIA Women should always wear a headscarf or Hijab; showing skin or hair is considered unacceptable. Some women wear a traditional dress or Bati/Sheet. Last names are rarely used when addressing others; it is preferable to call people by their first name or their first three names. Most Somalis use nicknames even for official documents 11 . Somali people are very outgoing and open people, who like to converse and interact. However, one should be mindful about being too judgemental about Islam, or of some cultural practices such as polygamy or FGM, as this may be perceived as inappropriate. Family is extremely important in Somali society. Somalis live with their parents until they get married, and in difficult times, the family support all its members 12 . When a child is born, the mother and baby do not leave the house for 40 days – this period of time is called ‘afatanbah’ . During the 40 days, incense is burned to protect the baby from everyday smells, which may make them sick; the mother wears earrings made from string placed through a garlic clove, and the baby wears a bracelet made from string and a local herb so as to drive away the Evil Eye. Afatanbah ends with a celebration at a friend’s or relative’s home. 13 There are no confidentiality laws in Somalia and when a poor prognosis needs to be delivered, it is not delivered to the patient, but to the whole family. If this does not happen, the patient may decide not to trust medical practitioners. Some Somalis believe that the Evil Eye causes illness, and summon religious leaders when a serious illness is diagnosed. Somalis believe that spirits live inside people and when they become angry, they manifest their anger through illnesses such as fever, headache and other. A healing ceremony, which involves reading the Koran, burning incense and eating certain foods, aims at soothing the spirits. Circumcision is viewed as a rite of passage and is practiced on both boys and girls 14 . GENDER RELATIONS: The Gender Inequality Index ranks Somalia as the fourth most unequal country globally. Girls marry very early and marriages are often arranged by the family 15 . Polygamy is an accepted practice : men can have up to 4 wives, so long as they can afford it. The more children a woman bears, the more respected she is. Thus, it is quite common for a Somali family to have seven or eight children 16 . Women constitute 56.6% of the labour force in Somaliland and Puntland, and tend to work mostly in the agricultural sector 17 . Most Somali women engage in the sale and exchange of livestock products, and use the money earned on the household. In Puntland and Somaliland women often participate in paid employment in other sectors. Women are also in charge of the household and of raising the kids. 11 https://www.international.gc.ca/cil-cai/country_insights-apercus_pays/ci-ic_so.aspx?lang=eng 12 https://ethnomed.org/culture/somali/somali-cultural-profile#section -2 13 http://www.undp.org/content/dam/rbas/doc/Women%27s%20Empowerment/Gender_Somalia.pdf 14 https://ethnomed.org/culture/somali/somali-cultural-profile#section -2 15 http://www.undp.org/content/dam/rbas/doc/Women%27s%20Empowerment/Gender_Somalia.pdf 16 https://ethnomed.org/culture/somali/somali-cultural-profile 17 http://www.undp.org/content/dam/rbas/doc/Women%27s%20Empowerment/Gender_Somalia.pdf