Somalia: Information on the protection the Majerteen clan affords to elderly women without male family members
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 1 January 1998 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | SOM28462.E |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Somalia: Information on the protection the Majerteen clan affords to elderly women without male family members, 1 January 1998, SOM28462.E, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/3ae6ab3a28.html [accessed 23 October 2022] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
In a 26 January 1998 telephone interview with the Research Directorate, an associate professor of Middle Eastern and African history at Savannah State University in Savannah, Georgia, stated that clan remains a very important element in Somali society. He stated that an elderly woman with no male members in her family can avail herself of the protection of her clan provided she can prove that she is a member of that clan.
The Immigration and Refugee Board's (IRB) human rights brief on "Women in Somalia" concurs with the associate professor by stating that a woman's clan has a responsibility for her well-being and protection (Apr.1994, 7). However, the brief also notes that "traditional structures providing protection for women have broken down with the war," (ibid.).
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim to refugee status or asylum.
Reference
Associate professor of Middle Eastern and African history, Savannah State University, Savannah, Georgia. 26 January 1998. Telephone interview.
Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB). Research Directorate. June 1994. Human Rights Brief. "Women in Somalia."
