Sahra Mohamed Ali Samatar

Sahra Mohamed Ali Samatar, also known as Sahra Ali Samatar[1] is a Somali politician. She is the former the Minister of Women and Human Rights of Somalia, having been appointed to the position on 27 January 2015 by the former Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke. During her tenure, she has introduced a ban on female genital mutilation nationwide and worked on equal rights for men and women within Somalia. The daughter of Mohammad Ali Samatar, she belongs to the Tumal clan.

Sahra Ali Samatar
Minister of Women and Human Rights of Somalia
In office
27 January 2015 – 20 March 2017
Prime MinisterOmar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke
Preceded byKhadijo Mohamed Diriye
Succeeded byDeeqa Yasin Hajji Yusuf
Personal details
BornSomalia
Political partyIndependent

Political career

Sahra Mohamed Ali Samatar was named to the cabinet of Prime Minister Omar Abdirashid Ali Sharmarke as the Minister of Women and Human Rights on 27 January 2015. She was among 20 changes made to the cabinet by Sharmarke, which included several debuting ministers in addition to Samatar.[2]

Samatar announced the government's intention to ban female genital mutilation nationwide in August 2015. She said "Time has come for us to eradicate this bad practice and protect the rights of girls and women in our country, every person has the right to physical integrity and can not be violated. Female circumcision is a cruel and degrading customary practice and is tantamount to torture. The circumcision of girls is prohibited." This change followed the local ban in the region of Putland in 2014.[3]

She attended an event to celebrate Women's Day in Mogadishu in March 2015.[4] In July, Samatar condemned the rumours surrounding a new gender law which sought to give men and women equal rights, after rumours spread that it was legalising same sex marriage in contrary to Islamic law, calling the claims "propaganda and baseless report".[5]

Personal life

Samatar is a member of the Tumal clan.[6] She is the daughter of Mohammad Ali Samatar, former Prime Minister and Vice President of Somalia, who had been involved in the military coup of Siad Barre in 1969.[7]

References
  1. https://www.cosmopolitan.fr/,eexcision-en-somalie-ministre-espere-interdiction-totale,1962584.asp
  2. "Somali PM unveils new cabinet". Hiiraan Online. 27 January 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  3. "Female genital mutilation: Somalia announces plan to ban "bad practice" nationwide". Somalia Agenda. 6 August 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  4. "Somali women proudly celebrated on the world women's day,vowing participation in the country's politics". Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  5. "Sahra Mohamed Ali Samatar : we said women and men are equal, but we did not say people of same sex can get marry". Manabolyo. 2 July 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
  6. "Nominated Ministers and Their Clans". Goobjoog. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
  7. "Prime Minister Unveils a Cabinet of Technocrats". Somali Agenda. 28 January 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2016.
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