Women who led
Fartuun Adan (Fartuun Cabdisalaan Aadan)
Fartuun Adan (born 1969 in Mogadishu) is a Somali human rights defender. She leads the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre, founded with her husband Elman Ali Ahmed in 1990, and co-founded Sister Somalia, the country's first rape crisis programme. With her daughter Ilwad Elman she won the Right Livelihood Award in 2022.
Fartuun AdanFartuun Abdisalaan Adan · Fartuun Aadan
- Lived
- 1969 to today
- Known as one of
- Women who led
- Places
- Muqdisho and Banaadir
- Era
- Rebuilding without a state, 1991 to 2012; Who holds power, 2012 to now
- Sources
- 4 sources
Who is she?
Fartuun Adan is a Somali peace and human rights worker. She is executive director of the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre in Mogadishu, and co-founder of Sister Somalia, the country's first rape crisis and support programme (Wikipedia, Fartuun Adan).
Early life and family
She was born in Mogadishu on 2 February 1969 (Right Livelihood, 2022 laureates). She married Elman Ali Ahmed, a businessman and peace worker. He was known as the "Somali father of peace" and made popular the slogan "Drop the gun, pick up the pen" (Wikipedia). He set up programmes to help young people, including former child soldiers and orphans, go back to school and earn a living (same source).
The work begins, 1990
She and her husband began the work of Elman Peace in 1990 (Right Livelihood). In 1996 her husband was killed near the family home in south Mogadishu. She then left Somalia with her four daughters (Wikipedia). In 1999 the family settled in Ottawa, Canada (same source).
Return to Mogadishu
She felt the work was unfinished. She returned to Somalia in 2006 to rebuild Elman Peace (Right Livelihood). Her daughter Ilwad Elman joined her in 2010 (same source).
Elman Peace works on peace building and protects women, children and others pushed to the margins (Wikipedia). Right Livelihood names as one of its biggest achievements its approach to helping former fighters, including child soldiers, give up arms and return to normal life (Right Livelihood). It also helped build Peace by Africa, a network of 61 peace building groups (same source).
Sister Somalia
Sister Somalia gives counselling, health care and housing support to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (Wikipedia, Ilwad Elman). It was the first programme of its kind in the country.
Loss and awards
In November 2019 her daughter Almaas Elman, an aid worker, was shot and killed near Mogadishu airport (Wikipedia).
Her honours include the US International Women of Courage Award (2013), a German human rights award (2014), the Aurora Prize (2020) and the Right Livelihood Award (2022) (same source). The 2022 jury honoured her and her daughter "for promoting peace, demilitarisation and human rights in Somalia" (Africanews, 30 September 2022).
In short
Co-founder of the Elman Peace and Human Rights Centre in Mogadishu, which runs support programmes for survivors of violence.
Sources
- Wikipedia, Fartuun Adan · en.wikipedia.org
- Right Livelihood, 2022 laureates · rightlivelihood.org
- Wikipedia, Ilwad Elman · en.wikipedia.org
- Africanews, 30 September 2022 · africanews.com
Fartuun AdanFartuun Abdisalaan Adan · Fartuun Aadan
- Lived
- 1969 to today
- Known as one of
- Women who led
- Places
- Muqdisho and Banaadir
- Era
- Rebuilding without a state, 1991 to 2012; Who holds power, 2012 to now
- Sources
- 4 sources
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Connected
Where this matters
Same era
- Australia18,401 people of Somali ancestry and 8,101 born in Somalia lived in Australia at the 2021 Census, more than half in Victoria. History, work, issues.
- Birmingham (Somali diaspora)About 17,000 to 21,600 Somalis live in Birmingham (Census 2021), mostly in Nechells, Newtown, Small Heath and Alum Rock. History, work, health and ties home.
- Bristol (Somali diaspora)9,167 people in Bristol identified as Somali or Somalilander in Census 2021, the city's largest minority group. Where they live, work, housing, leaders and ties home.
- Calgary, Alberta, Canada2,845 people of Somali origin lived in Calgary at the 2021 Census, plus 890 in Brooks. How they came, who serves them and what they face.
- Denmark (Somali diaspora)21,885 people of Somali origin lived in Denmark in 2026, half born there. Numbers, history, work, permit reviews, and ties home.
- DjiboutiAbout 13,900 refugees from Somalia live in Djibouti (Aug 2026): numbers since 1990, Ali Addeh, Holl-Holl, the 2017 refugee law, Arta 2000 and 2025 returns.
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- Fadumo Dayib (Faadumo Daayib)Fadumo Dayib (born 1972): former refugee, nurse and UN health expert, first woman to run for President of Somalia (2016).
- Khadra Haji Ismail Geid (Khadra Xaaji Ismaaciil Geydh)Khadra Haji Ismail Geid: first woman mayor in Somaliland (Gabiley, 2011 to 2012) and first woman elected to a Somaliland local council.