Women in the Somalian society are reared to believe in the family as the ultimate achievement. Family life orientations are thus geared around women as the critical players. Though historically women have been active work partners with men in the various modes of agricultural production and in traditional pastoral activities.
In the process of modernization, the Somali women where not able to profit from it. Similarly in the educational process, women lag far behind men. As in most Third World countries a greater percentage of the women from the rural areas and their lives are characterized by poverty, ignorance and illiteracy.
The Somali woman sees herself foremost as a mother and a wife and occupational considerations then follow moreover women's occupations are so intricately woven into the family and domestic responsibilities that it becomes difficult to isolate what is occupational from what is done in the interest of the family.
Critical conclusions:
The situation and needs of Somali women in many areas, progress is slow. Specifically educational attainment of women is quite inferiorto that of men.
Participation in the socio-economic life, income generating and activities are at a minimum. Female circumcision and other cultural and religious practices can be interpreted as impediments to a more complete socio-psychological wholesomeness of the woman a gradual re-orientation of sex-role images and stereotypes.
