Asha Ahmed Abdalla ( so, Casha Axmed Cabdalla; ar, عائشة أحمد عبد الله; born 1958) is a Somali politician. She was a founding member of the

Transitional Federal Parliament The Transitional Federal Parliament of the Somali Republic (TFP) ( so, Golaha Shacabka Federaalka Kumeelgaarka ee Jamhuuriyada Soomaaliya; often ''Baarlamaanka Federaalka Soomaaliya'') was the national parliament of Somalia from 2004 until 2012. ...

, and is a veteran legislator representing the northern

Sanaag Sanag ( so, Sanaag, ar, سَنَاج) is an administrative region (''Administrative divisions of Somaliland, gobol'') in north eastern Somaliland.United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

to pursue higher studies, graduating from La Guardia College in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...

. She holds dual Somali and American citizenship.

Political career

In 2000, Abdalla attended the peace conference on Somalia held in

Arta, Djibouti Arta ( so, Carta, ar, عرته) is a town in southeastern Djibouti. The center of the Arta Region, it is the country's sixth-largest city. , the population was 11,043. Arta is situated on the Mountains of Arta and is famous for its mild climate. ...

. Because of her pivotal role in the talks, she was elected a Member of Parliament (MP) in the

Transitional National Government The Transitional National Government (TNG) was the internationally recognized central government of Somalia from 2000 to 2004. Overview The TNG was established in April–May 2000 at the Somalia National Peace Conference held in Arta, Djibouti. ...

(TNG). Abdalla was subsequently appointed to various ministerial positions in the TNG. The latter include Minister for Demobilisation, Disarmament, Reintegration and Disabled Care, and Deputy Minister of Labor and Sports. In 2004, Abdalla was also among the 275 Somalian delegates who convened to form the

Transitional Federal Government The Transitional Federal Government (TFG) ( so, Dowladda Federaalka Kumeelgaarka, ar, الحكومة الاتحادية الانتقالية) was internationally recognized as a provisional government of the Republic of Somalia from 14 October ...

(TFG) of Somalia. That same year, she made a run for Somalia's presidency, making her the first woman in the country's history to do so. On account of low votes, Abdalla was eliminated in the first round of the elections, which were held during the peace talks. She was also a member of the

(TFP), until the inauguration of the

Federal Parliament of Somalia The Federal Parliament of Somalia ( so, Golaha Shacabka Soomaaliya; often ''Baarlamaanka Federaalka Soomaaliya''; ar, البرلمان الاتحادي في الصومال) is the national parliament of Somalia. Formed in August 2012, it is ba ...

in August 2012.

Activism

Abdalla has participated in numerous conferences on community development, peace building and humanitarianism. As the head of the Somali Women's Parliamentarian Association, she travels globally to promote stability and civil society forums, particularly women's issues. Her campaign slogan is "Give Somalia a Mother’s Nurturing", and empowering women stands at number 10 in her 12-point agenda for the country. In addition, Abdalla is the founder of the Community Sustaining Development Organization, an initiative committed to assisting in post-conflict rehabilitation efforts through humanitarian services and developmental activities. In 2011, Abdalla was also among several female political activists selected to participate in the

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Chemi ...

multi-national panel ''Women’s Political Leadership: In peace and conflict''.

References

Women, Peace and Security News: Somalia:Somalia needs a mother's nurturingSTATUS OF SOMALI PEACE PROCESS AND WAY FORWARDConstitutional Blunder: Transitional Federal Parliament of Somali Republic
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abdalla, Asha Ahmed 1958 births Living people Ethnic Somali people Independent politicians in Somalia 21st-century Somalian women politicians 21st-century Somalian politicians Date of birth missing (living people)