By Naima M. Hassan | Freelance Journalist | Hargeisa, Somaliland
The recent visit of the Jijiga Mayor to Hargeisa has sparked a public debate about women’s representation in local governance, exposing the gender imbalance within Hargeisa’s municipal leadership. What began as a routine exchange between sister cities quickly turned into a national conversation on gender equality, optics, and the limits of symbolic inclusion.
A Tale of Two Cities and Two Realities
When the delegation from Jijiga arrived in Hargeisa last week, their group immediately drew attention. The Jijiga Mayor was accompanied by three senior female officials a visible sign of women’s inclusion in leadership within the Ethiopian Somali Region. In contrast, the Hargeisa welcoming team composed of the Mayor, the Deputy Mayor, the Executive Secretary, and a local council member — was entirely male.
The official photo captured the difference starkly on one side, the Jijiga team with women leaders confidently representing their offices; on the other, the Hargeisa delegation, all men. That single image spread rapidly across social media platforms, igniting public outrage and calls for reform in Hargeisa’s city administration.
Within hours, the photo became a symbol of exclusion. Citizens, activists, and youth groups voiced frustration over what they called “a glaring display of gender imbalance.” Women’s rights advocates criticized the Mayor for surrounding himself with men in decision-making positions while women remain largely absent from leadership roles in the city government.
“This wasn’t just a photo it was a mirror held up to the Hargeisa administration,” said one women’s peace champion “It showed us how far we still have to go.”
Damage Control and a Misstep
In what appeared to be an attempt to manage the backlash, the following day the Hargeisa Mayor invited three female local government workers to join a new photo session with the Jijiga delegation. The move was quickly interpreted by the public as a last-minute attempt to save face rather than a genuine act of inclusion.
Observers pointed out that the women in the new photograph were not decision-makers but junior staff members a distinction that further fueled public criticism. “Dear Mayor,” one young female activist said, “women’s inclusion is not a photo opportunity. It is a commitment to leadership, voice, and visibility.”
A Broader Issue: Representation Beyond Symbolism
The incident has reignited discussions about women’s participation in governance across Somaliland. Although women make up a significant portion of Hargeisa’s workforce, they remain underrepresented in positions of authority within the municipal council and executive offices.
“Representation cannot be reduced to optics,” said a female lawyer interviewed after the incident. “If women are not part of the policy table — if they are not decision-makers — then we are perpetuating the same cycle of exclusion that has defined local politics for years.”
The contrast between Jijiga and Hargeisa was difficult to ignore. The Jijiga Mayor’s delegation exemplified a model of gender inclusion, where women are visibly empowered to represent their communities in high-level engagements. Many Somalilanders have called on their local leaders to follow suit not for appearance’s sake, but as a step toward fair governance.
Lessons and the Road Ahead
The Hargeisa Mayor’s attempt to stage inclusion has, ironically, deepened public scrutiny of his administration’s gender policies. Critics argue that the incident has exposed not only a lack of genuine commitment to women’s leadership but also a misunderstanding of what true inclusion entails.
Women’s organizations have since called for structural reforms within the local government including appointments of qualified women to executive positions and the establishment of a gender policy framework that ensures fair participation in decision-making processes.
Until such steps are taken, the mayor’s photo with three women will remain, for many, a symbol of tokenism a visual effort to cover a deeper imbalance.
As public debate continues, one message rings clear from Hargeisa’s streets and social media feeds alike: women’s representation cannot be manufactured for the camera. It must be lived, practiced, and institutionalized.
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