Ilwad Elman
| Ilwad Elman | |
|---|---|
 |
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| Born | 1989/1990 (age 27–28) Mogadishu, Somalia |
| Occupation | social activist |
| Parent(s) | Elman Ali Ahmed and Fartuun Adan |
Ilwad Elman (Somali: ilwaad Elman, is a Somali-Canadian social activist. She works at the Elman Peace and Human Rights Center in Mogadishu alongside her mother Fartuun Adan, the NGO's founder.
Ilwad was born between 1989 and 1990 in Mogadishu, Somalia. One of four daughters, she is the child of the late entrepreneur and peace activist Elman Ali Ahmed and social activist Fartuun Adan.
In 1996, during the height of the civil war, Ahmed was killed near their home in southern Mogadishu. The family subsequently emigrated to Canada in 1999. Ilwad studied there at an Ottawa institution.
In 2010, Elman later returned to Somalia to work beside her mother. Her younger sister Iman also joined her, and serves as a commander in the Somali military.
In honour of Ahmed, his wife Fartuun Adan and their children established the Elman Peace Centre in Mogadishu. Adan serves as the NGO's Executive Director, while their daughter Ilwad works alongside her. Ilwad serves therein as Director of Programs and Development. She also helps run Sister Somalia, a subsidiary of the Elman Peace and Human Rights Center. The country's first program for assistance of victims of gender-based violence, it provides counseling, health and housing support for women in need. Elman's work has helped raise awareness locally on the issue, and encouraged changes in government policy. She has also carried out educational workshops for vulnerable members of society, and designed and implemented projects promoting alternative livelihood opportunities for both young and old.
Additionally, Elman serves as the Chairperson for the Gender Based Violence Case Management group in Mogadishu, and the child protection working group in Afgoye, Lower Shabelle. She also chairs the Street Children Task Force in the capital, where she in turn co-chairs the Child Protection working group in conjunction with UNICEF. The Youth to End Sexual Violence NGO likewise appointed her its Youth Ambassador for Somalia on Sexual Violence in Conflict. The organization works in partnership with the United Nations to end wartime gender based violence around the world, appointing global representatives for the purpose.
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