On the occasion of World Women's Rights Day, we send our best wishes to all Comorian women. Our mobilizers Raïssa Bakari and Haboulati Said in the Rural Development sector, shared in an interview their perceptions of work in the professional world, in particular the exercise of their functions at Dahari.
Why did you choose Dahari?
I chose to work at Dahari because I knew that they work on community development and environmental protection, and good practices for the protection and safeguarding of our environment.
What challenges/difficulties have you had to face in the professional environment as a woman?
According to our morals and customs, it is not easy for a woman to approach men: to bring them together and discuss with them. But in relation to what we do as a mobilizer, we must approach people, get to know them and become familiar with their community. The biggest challenge we have faced as a woman is approaching men in public places to chat, something that is not normally done. Tradition dictates that women do not go to public places where there are only men. Over time, we knew how to approach them and gain their trust to the point that he doesn't denigrate us by saying that we are women, but he listens to us and supports us in everything we do.
When did you feel valued as a woman in the professional environment?
We often work with men and everything we propose is taken into account. They are not going to say that it is an idea coming from a woman, we consult together, plan together, organize and accomplish what we do to achieve our objectives. Sometimes they put us in charge of certain activities without thinking that it's a woman, she's not going to succeed. In the community sometimes we are asked to join men's groups to manage conflicts or other problems, that's what makes me feel valued.
What message would you like to send to young girls who want to pursue a career in development/conservation?
I encourage women to pursue careers in the field of agriculture and the environment, because the fight for healthy eating concerns everyone. The protection of our environment and the conservation of our biodiversity require the participation of everyone.
Why did you choose Dahari?
I chose to work with Dahari because I want to participate in the development of my country. As a social mobilizer, we work in different communities which allows us to be in direct contact with a lot of people and to integrate into their community. They also ensure the protection and regeneration of forests.
What challenges/difficulties have you had to face in the professional environment as a woman?
The biggest challenge I have had to face in the workplace as a woman is “integration”. According to our customs, being a woman is not easy, especially if you have to face a male group and make them agree with your thoughts. There is also the fact that we had to sleep on the field and at that time, we only had one room. The day all the technicians were in the field, we couldn't all go into the room. So we had to go and sleep at people's houses to spend the night. Family from afar cares about our well-being whether everything is going well or not. We weren't really at peace, but thanks to integration, we managed to overcome this stage. The Dahari Administration has also done everything to have well-equipped premises. Now, in all the villages where we work, we manage to find comfort.
Our integration went well to the point that people adopted us. They have allied themselves with our cause to the point that sometimes they even help us organize the rallies. Now I have the luxury of saying that people are no longer picky about us.
When did you feel valued as a woman in the professional environment?
The moments when I feel most valued are when making decisions. We are all there, man and woman, sharing the same ideas and our proposals to us are not repressed supposedly because we are women. On the contrary, our ideas are also taken into consideration and at that moment I feel that I also have my contribution to make: that's what gives me the most pleasure. Within our team, there is also this spirit, because we are involved in different workshops where our opinions are considered equal to those of management, for example.
What message would you like to send to young girls who want to pursue a career in development/conservation?
Our biodiversity is threatened and it is not only men who will be able to move things forward. We women also have our role to play. This requires the participation of everyone without exception. Those who feel ready and prepared to move things forward for the development of our country.
