From Rubble to Roads: How Women in Baidoa Are Building Livelihoods Through Decent Work

In the dusty outskirts of Baidoa, in southwest Somalia, a quiet transformation is taking place. Women from internally displaced persons camps and host communities are stepping into roles long reserved for men, rebuilding roads while rebuilding their own lives.

Through an employment intensive infrastructure project led by the International Labour Organization, women are being trained and employed as stone cobblers, earning income and gaining skills in a context shaped by conflict and displacement. At least 30 percent of all jobs under the project are reserved for women, a deliberate effort to advance gender equality in the world of work.

Among them is Ruqiya Mohamed Noor, a 32 year old widow and mother of eight. Each morning at dawn, she walks five kilometres from an IDP camp on the outskirts of Baidoa to a road construction site. There, she works alongside dozens of other women who are now able to earn a living through ILO supported employment.

Ruqiya’s journey to the site mirrors her broader struggle. After losing her husband to illness, she lost her income and was forced into displacement. Life in the camp was uncertain, and providing for her children became a daily challenge. That changed when she was selected for training under the ILO project.

Implemented with the Baidoa District Authority and the Ministry of Public Works of the Southwest State of Somalia, and funded by KfW Development Bank, the initiative is part of the ILO’s wider effort to create decent work opportunities for people affected by displacement and conflict. It responds to Somalia’s jobs crisis while restoring vital public infrastructure and promoting social cohesion.

Under the project, Ruqiya received training in stone cobbling, occupational safety, and basic worksite practices. She began by spreading gravel but progressed into skilled stone cobbling work. Alongside a daily wage, the training has given her a sense of purpose and professional confidence.

The initiative follows the ILO’s Employment Intensive Investment Programme approach, which prioritises local labour and ensures that a significant share of project funding flows directly into the local economy through wages and local suppliers. For women workers, this translates into fair pay, safe working conditions, and predictable income.

For Ruqiya, the impact is immediate and deeply personal. For the first time since her husband’s death, she can independently support her children. Her earnings now cover food, education, and healthcare. What once felt like a distant hope has become a daily reality shaped by her own labour.

She is not alone. Hundreds of women are benefiting from the project in Baidoa. Across Southwest Somalia, the initiative is expected to generate more than 300,000 workdays of short term employment for displaced people, returnees, and host community members. Beyond the roads being laid, the project is strengthening skills, inclusion, and labour market participation.

The ILO’s focus on women is intentional. By targeting those most vulnerable to economic exclusion, the organisation recognises that investing in women’s employment delivers impact far beyond the individual. When women gain access to decent work, families move out of vulnerability and communities become more resilient.

Sadia Mohamed, who has worked on the project for nearly two years, says the training has expanded her future prospects. With the skills she has gained, she feels better prepared to compete for work opportunities beyond the project itself.

The experiences of Ruqiya and Sadia reflect a broader shift unfolding in Baidoa. Through skills development, fair employment, and inclusive labour practices, displaced women are moving from survival to stability.

For Africa, where conflict, displacement, and youth unemployment continue to test fragile economies, these stories matter. They show how decent work, when rooted in local realities and inclusive policy choices, can restore dignity and rebuild trust. In young nations still shaping their social and economic foundations, investing in women’s work is not only a response to crisis. It is a long term commitment to resilience, recovery, and a more equitable future.

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