Paper short abstract:

We consider the ways in which periods of crisis in Somalia's history have contributed to the transformation of gender roles and civic and political engagement by women.

Paper long abstract:

The years leading up to and since the collapse of the Somali state have seen dramatic shifts in gender roles. The social transformation has been at least partly driven by prolonged periods of crisis of varying types (although we dispute the widely held notion that Somalia is an unvariegated crisis zone). In this paper, based on our research with more than 50 women engaged in a range of forms of public engagement, we explore the ways in which crisis has shaped the evolution of women's activism and identities. We argue that much of the change that can be seen is consistent, rather than a rupture, with traditional gender norms. While taking a variety of forms, women's engagement can be broadly understood as extensions of principles of service and responsibility that have been adapted in the context of war, displacement, economic insecurity, and political crisis.