The Somali private sector is dominated by Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and women are the main drivers of especially the micro sector. Usually, women enter the sector as a coping mechanism and remain trapped for very apparent reasons. These would
include costly electricity, lack of access to credit, lack of business development services, restricted mobility due to insecurity, and/or complex taxation policies. The more educated female entrepreneurs – and returned diaspora – are breaking into sectors that were  traditionally dominated by men, for instance the livestock, fishery and petroleum importing sectors. Nevertheless, women struggle to function in an environment where vital business information is still shared in a very informal manner, and where belonging to a strategic network and having strong clan connections persistently determine success. Read More