Somalia is one of the youngest countries in the world, with 75 per cent of its population under the age of 30.
While young people represent the majority in Somali society, continuing unrest, conflict, socio-economic and political exclusion have been obstacles to Somali youth being able to contribute fully to their country’s re-building and development.
Available data suggests that Somalia has one of the highest rates of youth joblessness in the world, and windows of opportunity to engage politically, economically and socially remain weak or non-existent, especially for young women.
Farhia Mohamud Hassan is a young Somali defying the many challenges that young women face when seeking to develop professionally, while also contributing to her country’s rebuilding and progress.
She was born in 1996 in Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, in the midst of its civil war. The violence forced her family to flee to Belet Weyne, a city in the north-central state of Hirshabelle.