The elections also saw a significant increase in female representation. In the last parliament, Somali women held less than 14% of the seats, a figure that has now increased to 24%, according to Wakiil, an online database promoting transparency in the electoral process. The increase in the lower house alone puts Somalia ahead of other African countries like Kenya (where 19% of lower-house members are women) and Nigeria (5.6%), according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

The achievement was thanks to a quota system that reserved 30% of parliamentary seats for women candidates contesting for either of the two houses. The measure had received stiff challenges from clan elders and also from religious leaders, who dubbed the process foreign-led. Others saw it differently. This “was a massive victory for Somali women,” says Asha Gelle Dirie, the chairperson of the Committee of Goodwill Ambassadors, which worked to secure the seats.

But the nascent government already faces tremendous challenges. Somalia just declared a national disaster due to prolonged drought, and 6.2 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian aid. The country’s security also faces repeated attacks from terrorist group al-Shabaab, and it is widely considered the most corrupt country on Earth.

Sagal Bihi, a newly elected member of parliament, says young parliamentarians will need to work harder, seek guidance, and pass laws designed to help the country’s people.

“We need to work with confidence, with fearlessness, and courage,” she says.

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