For many years, women and girls took cover with their children at difficult moments of war as men entered the battlefield to safeguard families and themselves.
But in Somalia, the Kenya security forces are changing this narrative by including women at the heart of peacekeeping efforts.
Major Naker Aupe is a towering example of the many women deployed by the Kenya Defence Forces to pacify Somalia and inspire the next generation.
We meet her at the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (Atmis) Sector 2 Headquarters in Dhobley District, Jubaland.
“I am a pilot by profession. As a combat pilot, I fly specifically the MD 500 helicopters,” Naker said.
Born and bred in Turkana county, no one can better tell what banditry and terrorist insurgency mean for women and young girls.
At times of war, women and girls suffer the most as existing inequalities are often augmented and social networks broken down, making them vulnerable to exploitation.
Naker experienced firsthand the perennial banditry attacks in Turkana while growing up, and when the call of deployment to Somalia came, it was more than just time for duty for her.
“Having grown up in a marginalised area, I aspired to become an important person in the community,” she said.
“I was challenged by seeing other successful females in other professions, and that made me work hard in school.”
The major’s role as a combat pilot is to support the ground troops through aerial reconnaissance and casualty evacuation when performing ground duties.
As a trained KDF soldier, she is ready to swing into action and counter the enemy whenever needed.
ROLE MODEL
Major Naker said her deployment to Somalia and that of many others of her gender is more than just a peacekeeping mission for marginalised Somali women whose chances of a brighter future have been curtailed by culture and insecurity.
“With peace, everything else flourishes. I am hoping for peace in Somalia so that their next generation, most importantly females, will grow and join the male-dominated fields,” she said.
“They should look up to us, see what we are doing back in Kenya, and get inspired. And that is why we are here to motivate them. We hope many of them will aspire to join the military and inspire the rest of the generation.”
The involvement of women as part of the Atmis KDF contingent in Somalia was a strategic plan to right many retrogressive ways of life that have disadvantaged Somali girls.
UN figures estimate that more than 90 per cent of Somali girls and women have been subjected to female genital mutilation (FGM).
Many of them hardly complete basic education as they are married off at a tender age.
Discussions over FGM have over the years remained a taboo in many parts of Somalia.
Cognisant of this sad reality, the Atmis KDF rolled out a women empowerment initiative to facilitate meaningful engagements on progressive ways of life.
WOMEN EMPOWERMENT
At Sector 2 Dhobley Forward Operating Base, Capt Valerie Shikuku is the gender focal officer in charge of this ambitious yet delicate role.
At Dhobley Town, we found her with a team of women who came together to form an empowerment group.
The basis of their regular meetings is to gain technical skills, such as mat-making.
The empowerment programme enables them to have a sense of independence so they can fend for themselves and not solely rely on their spouses for a source of income.
“This mat-making has empowered them to know that women are also capable of taking care of their families and also have a source of income,” Shikuku said.
The empowerment group engagements have also brought a lot of cohesion between the Atmis KDF troops and the community.
With many people living below the poverty line, the commercialisation of the mats made by the group members has boosted their incomes.
“When the women stay in their homes and are sure that Atmis is here to support them, they realise that having a stable economy is very important to promoting peace," Shikuku said.
"Without a stable economy, peace will not flourish in such an environment."
To enable them to get market for their produce, Atmis leverages their media platforms to give them exposure to the market, as well as giving them platforms to showcase what they are doing.
The Atmis mission is expected to end in December, but the captain said they are certain the programme will outlive their mission in Somalia.
“These women can now stand for themselves. They even empower their girls not to engage in early marriages,” she said.
“Apart from being empowered, when they see us as part of the military, they learn that they can also be part of ensuring there is security in their land.”
Nehema Mohamed, the gender officer at the Ministry of Women in the federal state of Jubaland, said it was challenging to start the association.
The training by Atmis KDF in mat-making boosted the women economically, such that men who were opposed to their association at first made a U-turn and backed them.
“We have come from a background where women were told they could not do anything, including forming associations,” Nehema said.
“It was our first time to make an association with the help of Atmis KDF to help each other, and that did not go well with some community members.
“At first it was hard, but now, because they are seeing the importance of what we are doing to the society, they have embraced this group of women.”
LEADING MEN
Back at Dhobley Forward Operating Base, a training session at a level one gym is ongoing.
Both men and women soldiers undergo intense workout sessions to keep fit.
The soldiers here have not forgotten they are in a war zone.
Their firearms are strategically placed in one corner for a swift response, just in case the enemy comes calling.
While many men and women here are big and tall, one woman's physique is a sharp contrast to the rest.
She is Snr Sgt Alice Kamande, a classic example that KDF is not all about stoutness but mastering the assignment and delivering it with precision.
Kamande is the master here. As she leads the rest of the KDF soldiers in a thorough workout session, one cannot help but admire the precision with which she delivers her moves as the rest of the team races to keep up with her pace.
“In KDF, fitness is an ability to execute daily activity with optimal performance, endurance and strength. Fitness, health and wellness go beyond borders, and that is what we are doing here,” she said.
This is a role she delivers more often to keep her fellow soldiers fit for the assignment of fighting the threat of al Shabaab.
The exercise is not just for physical fitness but also for mental stability, which is key in ensuring every soldier has his eye focused on the mission of subduing the enemy.
“Fitness in KDF helps us maintain psychological and physical well-being. This readies us to undertake any particular role for a longer period without fatigue,” she said.
Maj Naker, Snr Sgt Kamande and Capt Shikuku are just a fraction of many KDF women who empower and inspire the women of Somalia.
From various observation posts and watch towers at the Dhobley Forward Operating Base to Atmis Sector 2 Level 2 Hospital, many female KDF soldiers have taken charge of key roles in aiding Somalia's autonomy.
Atmis Sector 2 Commander Brigadier Salim Seif Rashid said this has played a crucial role in empowering Somali women and shifting their minds from traditional beliefs that they were born to get married and raise families.
“Our community engagements have been very productive in eradicating many Somali cultures that have disadvantaged the Somali girl,” he said.
“There is no better way to achieve this other than showing them that the things they believe their women should not do or cannot do are being done elsewhere by women.
“This has softened their hard stance, and we have now seen many Somali women aspiring to join their security forces because of what we are doing.”
It is at the women's empowerment group that KDF soldiers like Major Naker, Sgt Kamande and many others get the chance to inspire Somali women to become the women of their dreams.
We have come across Somali women who see me driving this armoured vehicle. They feel excited and inspired
BREAKING THE CEILING
At Atmis Headquarters in Mogadishu, police constable Dorcas Andabwa is a shining example of a woman who has broken the ceiling to become an authority in a male-dominated field.
She is among nine women deployed by the Kenya National Police Service to mentor the Somali Police.
Here, she drives the armoured vehicle, which combines operational mobility with offensive and defensive capabilities.
Armoured vehicles are key in movements in Somalia, considering the threat posed by landmines planted by al Shabaab terrorists on roads.
“It is beautiful to shine in a male-dominated field. It is not easy first of all to get here,” Andabwa said.
She mentors the force and provides armoured vehicle services when required, especially when touring various stations for mentorship.
“We have come across Somali women who see me driving this armoured vehicle. They feel excited and inspired,” she said.
The constable believes with equal opportunity, men and women can shine at any stage.
She said her deployment to Somalia has helped tame some cultural beliefs that have hindered Somali women from entering male-dominated fields.
Key to the success of these female security officers in Somalia is the support they receive from their families and commanders, they said.
Many of them who are married say their husbands have been instrumental in giving them the peace of mind they need by bridging the gap in parenting as they honour the call of duty in Somalia.