US embassy cable - 04DJIBOUTI563

C O N F I D E N T I A L DJIBOUTI 000563 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR AF AND AF/E 
STATE ALSO FOR INR/B 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/15/2014 
TAGS: PREL, PGOV, SOCI, PINR, DJ 
SUBJECT: MINISTER OF WOMEN'S AFFAIRS EFFORTS TO RAISE 
WOMEN'S AWARENESS IN DJIBOUTI 
 
Classified By: AMBASSADOR MARGUERITA D. RAGSDALE. 
REASONS 1.4 (B) AND (D). 
 
 1. (C) Minister of Women's Affairs Hawa Ahmed Youssef 
credits her awareness programs, first and foremost, with 
enlarging the voting lists of women in Djibouti.  She told 
Ambassador that women are, unfortunately, still reluctant to 
become candidates for Parliament or for regional positions, 
despite her campaigns to broaden political participation. 
Conscious of the reluctance, though, she fought hard and won, 
in her words, to have a law passed in Djibouti that would set 
aside ten percent of all parliamentary seats and regional 
offices for women.  She says there was fierce opposition from 
male parliamentarians, and it could not have happened without 
the support of President Guelleh.  Now, there are seven women 
in Parliament. 
 
2. (C) Asked by Ambassador to characterize the principal 
difficulty the Minister faces in managing the goals of her 
ministry, Hawa Youssef stated that it is the high illiteracy 
rate for Djibouti's women -- approximately 73 percent. This 
rate hinders written communication on issues especially when 
three local languages are required (Afar, Somali and Arabic) 
to inform women adequately on issues of concern to them.  In 
some cases, pictures, rather than words, are used to carry 
messages, and this takes careful design and planning.  She 
showed Ambassador a sample of her efforts in this area.  In 
addition, skits are often employed and public appearances by 
the Minister with oral dialogue on various topics. She 
recently led a seminar, which traveled to several Djiboutian 
cities, on the rights of women and the importance of good 
governance.  These techniques were also used to good effect, 
she said, during the launch of a campaign on HIV/AIDS 
awareness, anti-poverty strategies and legal rights of women 
in domestic situations. 
 
3. (C) The Ministry of Women's Affairs widely publicized to 
women the new Family Code, passed this year, a copy of which 
she provided the Ambassador.  (Note:  The code is Shari'a 
based.)  In addition, the Ministry gives legal counseling to 
battered women and to women seeking divorce, although Youssef 
admitted that many withdraw their petitions when confronted 
with the fear of losing income previously provided by their 
husbands.  The  Ministry of Women's Affairs also monitors 
mosques and Islamic centers in Djibouti for what Ahmed 
described as "anti-women propaganda" in order to circumscribe 
these teachings.  She stressed to Ambassador that Djiboutian 
women are not influenced at all by women of Saudi Arabia and 
the Gulf countries.  Islamic traditions have never been as 
strict, she said, as in Arab countries, but this does not 
prevent Djibouti's women from being good Muslims. 
 
4. (C)  Hawa Youssef sees use of the stimulant "khat" as a 
problem for both men and women in Djiboutian society.  Its 
eradication is complicated by cultural habit, on the one 
hand, and by the need on the other for women to find sources 
of income for their families' needs.  Khat selling may be the 
only form for some, especially widows. The challenge, she 
said, will be to find alternative sources of income for these 
women.  The smoking of "shisha" pipes is also a greater 
problem currently among young women, the Minister said, and 
suggested that sports, economic support of sports, and 
programs for women might provide a diversion for these habits. 
 
5. (C) Comment: Focused and sharp, Hawa Ahmed Youssef may be 
a good candidate for the International Visitors Program and 
Embassy will consider.  She was born in 1961, has fair 
command of English, and holds a Master's Degree in Law from 
France.  She was appointed in 1998 as Director of Women's 
Promotion, an office attached to the Presidency, before being 
appointed Minister in 1999.  Prior to 1998, she was an 
advisor to the Minister of Finance.  Hawa Ahmed Youssef is 
married and has three young children. 
 
6. (C) Comment continued: Her relative youth has brought some 
criticism from those with whom Ambassador has spoken who see 
her as "not sufficiently combative" to make the changes on 
women's issues that will be required.  Nevertheless, her 
commitment seems genuine and her method may be a conscious 
decision brought about by the need to survive among her 
sensitive, and powerful, male peers rather than to alienate. 
End comment. 
RAGSDALE