MOGADISHU, July 10 — Armed with mobile phones, tripods and laptops, the crew at Bilan Media, a Somali start-up staffed entirely by women, is on a mission to break the silence around gender violence in the troubled Horn of Africa nation.
This includes profiles of prominent Somali women and coverage of issues often considered too sensitive for public broadcast in Somalia, including subjects such as domestic violence and rape. Their shows are aired on Dalsan and on Bilan Media’s social networks, where Ibrahim hopes to gradually build an audience.The biggest challenge lies in persuading Somali citizens to share their stories, Ibrahim said, pointing out that having an all-female team has proved to be an unexpected advantage in this regard.
“Her parents decided to talk about it — I myself interviewed her father and as of today, her case is in court,” she said, rattling off other examples where families refused to let the stigma surrounding sexual violence stifle their voices.