SOMALIA, KISMAYO, July 13 - Hodan Nalayeh, a Somali-Canadian journalist, was killed in an attack at the Medina Hotel in Somalia’s port city of Kismayo, on Friday.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is deeply saddened by the killing of our colleague journalist Hodan Nalayeh in Somalia. Hodan was a Somali-Canadian media executive and social activist. She and her husband were among those killed in an attack on a hotel on Friday. Responsibility for the attack was claimed by the local extremist militia Shabab.

Hodan was born in Somalia, and while she spent much of her life in Canada, she was passionate about the coverage of Somalia’s struggles today and wanted to be on the ground, close the scene, which brought her here to do the job. She became the first Somali woman to own a media company when she founded Integration TV. She was also a social activist, especially interested in the welfare of women.

In his interview with CBC News, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Ahmed Hussen mentioned her by saying: “Her work, particularly in helping women and youth, strengthened the ties between Canada and Somalia, as it continues to go through stabilization and reconstruction.”

Over the past decade, dozens of journalists have been killed in Somalia, but none of their killers have been brought to justice. Somalia is one of the leading countries where the murders of journalists go unpunished. Since 1992, at least 66 journalists have been killed according to data from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Aside from murder, harassment from both government officials and the militia is another issue for journalists in the country.

The Coalition For Women in Journalism is deeply saddened by the murder of our devoted colleague Hodan Nalayeh and condemns all the attacks against working women journalists all around the African continent. Immediate steps have to be taken by the government of Somalia against the murder and harassment of journalists to protect the universal rights of free speech and human rights, and justice should be regarded as the main dissuasive element in terms of violations of the rights of the journalists.

###

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world, and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

Follow us on Instagram @womeninjournalism and Twitter @CFWIJ.

Our website is WomenInJournalism.org and we can be reached at press@womeninjournalism.org