Iman Elman
Iman Elman is a Somali-Canada military officer.[1] When she was a child, Elman's parents were peace advocates in wartorn Somalia. When the dangers of working in Somalia increased her parents agreed that her father, Elman Ali Ahmed would stay in Somalia, and continue to work for Peace, while her mother, Fartuun Adan would raise their daughters in Canada. When her daughters reached adult-hood Fartuun returned to Somalia, to renew her work for Peace.[2] Iman's elder sisters, Almaas Elman and Ilwad Elman, also returned to Somalia, followed by Iman herself.
Almaas became a Somali diplomat, while Ilwad joined her mother at the Elman Peace and Human Rights Center.[1] Iman, who had served in the Canadian reserves prior to her return to Somali, joined the Somali military.[3]
Military career
Iman faced the assumption that her role in the military would be a support role, not active military duties, like going on military patrols.[1] However she succeeded in working with male soldiers.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Abdi Latif Dahir (2020-08-14). "Somalia’s Army Told Her to Sew a Skirt. Now She’s One of Its Top Officers.". The New York Times (Nairobi, Kenya): p. A10. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/14/world/africa/iman-elman-woman-Somalia-army.html. Retrieved 2020-08-16. "By then, Ms. Adan had received refugee status in Canada and was raising their daughters in Ottawa. Colonel Elman said her mother not only reminded them of their roots but ingrained in them the notion that their gender should not limit their ambitions."
- ↑ Nima Elbagir; Lillian Leposo. "Rape and injustice: The woman breaking Somalia's wall of silence". CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/05/world/africa/rape-and-injustice-somalia-silence/. Retrieved 2014-02-08.
- ↑ Michelle Shephard (2013-05-23). "Canadian sisters on front lines of rebuilding Somalia". Toronto Star. Archived from the original on 2013-06-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20130606055337/https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2013/05/23/canadian_sisters_on_front_lines_of_rebuilding_somalia.html. Retrieved 2019-11-22. "Elman was 42 when he was killed and three years later, in 1999, his wife moved to Ottawa with their young daughters, Ilwad, Iman and their eldest sister Almas, who is with the Canadian military reserves."
