Mrs. Sadia Yasin Samatar, the Deputy Speaker of the House of the people of the Federal Republic Somalia has become the first woman to preside over the country’s lower chamber of parliament.
She took over as Interim Speaker on Saturday following the election of former Speaker Sheikh Adan Mohamed Nur Madobe as President of South West State.
A member of parliament since 2022, Samatar previously broke barriers when she was elected First Deputy Speaker, the highest parliamentary position ever held by a Somali woman at the time.
Her assumption of the Speaker’s role marks another vital step for women’s participation in national leadership and highlights the gradual expansion of female representation in Somalia’s political institutions.
The transition comes as parliament prepares for the election of a new Speaker to fill the vacancy left by Madobe’s departure.
Her elevation is a historic moment for Somalia’s legislature and a symbol of the growing role of women in shaping the country’s democratic future.
