Bilan Media is a Somali media composed exclusively of women. Launched in 2022 and led by Nasrin Mohamed Ibrahim, it is primarily dedicated to

social issue A social issue is a problem that affects many people within a society. It is a group of common problems in present-day society that many people strive to solve. It is often the consequence of factors extending beyond an individual's control. Soc ...

s affecting

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

History

Somalia is the most dangerous country in Africa for journalists. Bilan Media was founded in April 2022 with the support of the

United Nations Development Programme The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries eliminate poverty and achieve sustainable economic growth and human development. The UNDP emphasizes on developing local capacity towar ...

(UNDP) and is composed of a team of six journalists. Shortly before the launch of Bilan Media, one of the group's journalists survived an Islamist attack by the al-Shabaab group. This is the first entirely female-run media outlet in the country, advocating for greater visibility on issues affecting women. The term "bilan" was chosen because it means "bright" in Somali. Since the establishment of the organization, the editor-in-chief has been

Fathi Mohamed Ahmed Fathi (Arabic: فَتْحِي ''fat·ḥiy/ fat·ḥī/ fat·ḥy'') is a given arab name or surname in the possessive form which means "victorious, triumphant". It may refer to: People *Ahmad Fathi Sorour (1932-2024), speaker of the Egyptian Peop ...

, and the director is Nasrin Mohamed Ibrahim. Since its inception, the media outlet has focused on social issues, including sharing news about

period poverty Period poverty is a term used to describe a lack of access to proper menstrual products and the education needed to use them effectively. In total, there are around 500 million women and girls that cannot manage their periods safely due to lack ...

in Somalia and interviewing women and girls. It also addresses traditionally taboo subjects, such as drug use among disadvantaged people in Somalia. The content is distributed via radio, television, and online print media. In 2024, the group launched the first Somali political television show organized by women. In June of the same year, it won the

One World Media One World Media is a non-profit organisation, registered in the UK as a charitable trust. It is based in London. The organisation describes its aim as supporting strong vibrant and independent media that empower citizens, promote justice and contrib ...

Press Freedom Award.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bilan Media 2022 establishments in Somalia History of women in Somalia Women in Somalia Somali news websites Newspapers published in Somalia