Opinions
Somaliland – Edna Adan: My Personal Hero
June 17, 2012 · 29 Comments
OPINION | JUNE 17, 2012
By Diane Lane
When I first arrived in Somaliland in April 2011, I was immediately made aware of the societal norms and cultural value system distinctly based on gender. I saw that the male perspective is the only one acknowledged regarding sexuality; womens reproductive rights are nonexistent. Women have no voice in their experience of their bodies: it is culturally-dictated and male-dictated. Maternal health is a matter of chance and luck yet a maximum abundance of children is inherently expected and valued above the womens health and survival.
Despite the immense adversity of circumstances I witnessed, I was inspired by the great work I saw Edna Adan doing. Edna became a personal hero of mine even from just reading her chapter in the book Half The Sky. She exemplifies being a true nurse, as well as being an ambassador of her nations women. Edna is a genuine inspiration and has earned every bit of respect and esteem she has won through her efforts in her patriarchal society. Edna personally suffered the harm and regret of FGM (Female Genital Mutilation) at the tender age of seven, yet she is a champion of wiser methods which accommodate Somaliland customs, while progressing away from the countless fistulas and other miseries women, children and entire families suffer unnecessarily in reproduction. She has trained young women from all over her country to be professional midwives to service the hard-to-reach majority of people there. Also, she brings people together from all over the world to finance emergency help for those who otherwise have no hope of proper medical attention.
I now see clearly the interconnectedness between access to education and opportunity for women and the prevention of maternal mortality. When a mother dies, all her children are orphaned, and the entire community suffers the burden of her void emotionally, physically and spiritually.
These issues need not be overwhelming. There are so many ways to empower women providing education and the right to vote and the right to participate in sustainable local commerce. That aids them in many ways in contributing to the family, and exponentially within their community thereby increasing their worth.
Since coming back to the U.S., I’ve realized that needless suffering and death can be avoided if women are invested in and valued for more than their reproduction. And I am guilty of taking my human rights and control over my own body for granted. This journey galvanized my belief in the need for equality in womens representation in governmental policy around the world.
Am so grateful for my experiences in Somaliland. I witnessed how the human condition can persevere in unforgiving drought and the deprivation of poverty. Thanks to Ms. Adan I grew understanding and compassion for cultures different from my own. My visit with the kind people I met there increased my willingness to give voice to usually ignored life-and-death issues that are shockingly preventable.
Edna gives me hope with her power of example. She once told me the fable of the Tortoise who without sticking his neck out, gets nowhere. And like her native desert survivor, the Tortoise, Edna Adan is a marvel of accomplishment. May her work and legacy continue to flourish through all her students.
Diane Lane
Follow @somalilandpressBy Sahra Farah
Tags: Diane Lane, Edna Adan Hospital, FGM, Gender equality, healthcare, Nurse
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Always been a fan of her acting, nice to know that she is a caring human being! Edna Aden is a Jewel, hearing her speak the other day on youtube about Somaliland made me realise just how eloquent and educated this women really is.
Especially with what is going on in the US with the GOP attacking women reproductive rights, it makes what Edna is doing that much more important, she is working hard within a very male dominated and restrictive society to help women.
My grand mother had alot of kids and I wonder if she would have survived longer if she had better care provided or perhaps if contraceptives were allowed. This is something our women need to pay attention to and that us men can help with too. It takes two and people need to be careful make sure our sisters give birth safely and also are not turned into baby making factories at the expense of their overall well being.
Our sisters work so hard and have to deal with so much!
Where-ever these white actors and actresses go war, death and destruction follow. Case in point.
Libya-Sean penn
Angelina Jolie-Syria
George Clooney- Sudan
All three went to the countries above and right after they came back problems started. Also, all of them are part of the CFR meaning they work for the Rothchilds.
You are an incredibly illogical person.
Wow rothchild conspiracy theorists are coming to Somaliland press, what a shame!
Apparently you dont know Landers very well, we dont take kindly to being told what to do. Also we have a democratically relected government! Nothing like Sudan, Syria or libya.
We fought hard and long for what we have and we will fight again if need be. So take your trolling bs somewhere else!
you can’t compare s/land region to syria sudan or libya,elected addmin should represent whole nothern state not one tribe.
Look up CFR members then look further into this organiztion. You are in for a big surprise. I understand you landers are desperate for some attention but at least do your children a favor. These people are no ones friend they are only serving the elite.
NeverAgain stop lying in 1993 all clan elders were consulted and all agreed with Somalilands historical reenstatement of its independence! Even now, in so called ssc, which oddly enough I am from a small minority from the dictators c l @n is trying to start trouble, however, their elected clan elders are against them and many people on the ground!
So stop bsing, online Somalilanders know their history and we will stand up to lies and bs! Somaliland has had a president who isnt from the majority clan, not only that minority clans hold significant seats in both houses!
Somaliland is built by all Somalilanders and it will be sustained by their efforts!
Find another threat to lie in, this is out the well being of our sisters and Edna who is a Jewel in our crown of glory
NO one sing That agreement 1993 accept one clan if everyone in The north sing That agreement today it would not be war nothern somalia.
People like you who have double personality have no clue what They talking about without facts,Puntland also stable state with no war.
^about….AND SOMALILANDERS SAY WITH A RESOUNDING VOICE NEVERAGAIN TO SI Y AA D AND HIS ILK! GOOD MEN ARE REMEMBERED S IY AADS LEGACY IS DYING IN EXILE WHILE HE BARRIED THE SOMALI PEOPLE DEEP IN REFUSE!
Somaliland dug itself out puntaland and somalia still havent found a way out of the xaar that s ya a d left behind.
Racism exists every where in the world, even in our country. It is due to human selfishness.
I respect Edna and she has contributed to Somaliland society more than any other woman dead or alive. Thumbs up Diane.
Vive la repuplic de somali 1 love
tell that the millions of Somalis she insulted the other day. she has become the hate figure in somali websites lately the kind of person you love to hate. dayniile hiiraan raxanreeb qaranimo and more had her in the front pages. i checked on the youtube and i saw a secular/atheist somali woman that is just about enough for me.
It was amazing. I burst out laughing when I saw the way she finished you lot in the Belgium conference. Haha!
.
LOOOOOL.
Hate is what they preach but look how he points fingers!
She is a hero she may have said stuff that was controversial but you people call us renegade sessecionists and tribalists and Qaaldan and pray to see the downfall of our country everyday and yet you expect us to rejoin u in a "brotherly union" talk about sheer contradictions.
If Edna insulted you, you to this to us on a regular basis. Nevertheless, she was talking about the leaders, if you hate infested people chose to listen to the rest you would have heard her saying how can Somaliland ever deny our fellow Somalis from South who come as refugees access to public services such as education, healthcare etc. She said Somalis from South as fellow Somalis deserve every help they get in Somaliland. Yet of course you people did not hear that, you were too busy exploding in rage over anything to do with Somaliland.
You know the f @q @ @ sh are going extinct when all it takes is an old woman speaking the truth on youtube to get their man panties in a bunch.
this is not just old woman. this is the wife of for Somalia prime minister she was educated our tax payers money. anyways if somalis were as patriotic as they are tribalistic they would not be at the bottom of human species as they are today.
Waa kaa caqli wanlaweyn. Was she educated your tax payers money or what was Somalia Repuplic
tax peyers money ie Somalialand +Somalia? Get your facts right wanlaweyn.
wife of former somalia prime minister
I’m not going to say anything about Edna Adan.As an elder and a Somali woman she earned the right to voice her opinion. Her work in Somaliland is clear and I have great respect for her. On the other hand the young lady is another matter. To me this young lady didn’t learn anything from her trip to somaliland. Her judgements are based on who she is. She just sounds like those left wing feminist extremists when she says” the male perspective is the only one acknowledged regarding sexuality; womens reproductive rights are nonexistent. Women have no voice in their experience of their bodies: it is culturally-dictated and male-dictated”.
Who she is talking to, a Somali Muslim audience or a feminist extremists.
She did not understand the role of the Somali women. She straight away started the judging of our society base on her own stereotypes.
Did she highlight the real problems behind women problems such as poverty, lack of healthcare and lack of education. No, she went straight for this power over body feminist crab. She under estimated the calm demeanor of the Somali women as timidness. Young lady needs to learn more. If she learned a thing or two from her trip we are glad for she came here to learn and help not to judge and bad mouth.
Cimraan your a man so technically you dont know the experience of Somali women. Our society is harder on girls! Everyone knows this! There is nothing wrong with femminism they talk about educating women, providing health care to women, and ending poverty for women so what are you against really?
Somali culture is male dictated! Damn dude wake up!
Anyone one who has a problem with Edna Aden is a fool. period.
Thumbs up if you watched UNFAITHFUL.
Bro if I am against anything It is Faqa666sh.Those hyenas in the form of human beings. In the above case I did not like the Idea of some kid green behind the ears judging our social behavior purely from western prospective. Is she telling me the west is not a male dominated society. or their females don’t have more that one or two kids. Why people marry in the west if not to have children. I just didn’t like the idea of her underestimating somali women who are more than that.
i had so much respect for her until I saw her latest video saying everyone who isnt iss@@q is a terrorist, pirate rapist and so on …. i was like just calm down habryar have some shaah and iska cibaadayso.. its twenty first century
Khatamami if the shoe fits…..one only needs to look at history and Edna told you point blank that puntalandia is prone to have the most violent, ignorant leaders the somali people have ever seen and where did all the piracy come from? Lets face it these guys are not the coast guard they are not protecting anyone infact they let the Italians dump wwaste for a fee as long as they get paid they could care less so lets stop acting like robin hood when in fact your more like the Koch brothers
I don’t like people who are doing something wrong and when catch them rationalize they were actually doing the opposite, or blame you for exposing them. So, Instead of acknowledging their misdeeds and repenting they come at you with full force and anger.
In the Honorable Ms. Edna, A Somalilander Brave, All she did was point out to the abundance of pirates in Pland, the presence of terrorists in the South etc. were she did wrong? Is there not Pirates in the North east? Isn’t there Terrorists in Southern Somalia? Were is her misstep that made her deserve all of these mean and nasty comments.
Madam Adna, please respect your brothers Somalis. Even if you fight for your recognition, that will not justify to insult other Somalis. Really, it was shocking to see you in front of the world describing Somalis piracy, terrorist and lowness. Madam is that really makes you happy? You are Somali learned old woman who should reflect the Somali culture however we defer on politics! However, history will judge you and your words!