New market means increased economic opportunities for one Somali town
After years of conflict, many households are reliant on money generated by women to survive. In some households, women contribute more than 70 percent to their families' income. And the majority of women in Somalia earn money from informal sectors – including working in local markets. Unfortunately for traders in Bossaso, selling their goods in the city's main market was no longer an option. In 2012, a fire severely damaged Bossaso Market – a place many women traders depended on for their livelihoods. With funding from the Government of Japan, UNOPS oversaw the construction of a new market with improved facilities to support women entrepreneurs in Bossaso. "We're grateful for the support of the Government of Japan and UNOPS, who worked closely with us to implement the project," said Engineer Yazin Mire, Bossaso's mayor. "Many businesses will benefit from this market, which will help several different communities, including Yemeni refugees and returnees who fled from the conflict in Yemen." Before the construction of the new Bossaso Market began, information was collected from female traders during an extensive consultation process. This allowed them to be actively involved in the design and planning of the new site, ensuring their needs were taken into account from the beginning. In all, nearly 2,000 market traders, both male and female, participated in the data collection process. That data was used to define the scope of the construction of the new market. An extensive community needs assessment was also conducted to encourage a sense of community ownership of the project, as well as to contribute to the long-term sustainability of the new market..
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