Baidoa, Somalia: Maryan Seylac, founder and executive director of the Somali Media Women Association (SOMWA), has been named one of Five Magazine’s Top 25 Most Influential Somalis of 2025, recognising her sustained leadership and transformative impact on Somalia’s media and gender equality landscape.
The recognition, featured in Five Magazine’s January 2026 issue, highlights Maryan Seylac’s more than two decades of work advancing ethical journalism, women’s safety in media, and gender-responsive media reform. In 2025, her leadership was particularly notable for scaling institutional protections for women journalists and strengthening national advocacy on press freedom, gender equity, and accountability.
Under her direction, SOMWA expanded emergency support mechanisms for female journalists facing harassment, intimidation, online violence, and censorship, while intensifying monitoring of violations and policy advocacy. These efforts have contributed to safer working environments and increased institutional awareness across media houses and regulatory bodies.
The feature also acknowledges Maryan’s role in developing the next generation of women journalists in Somalia. Through structured mentoring, training, and leadership development programs, she has supported hundreds of young female journalists, many of whom now hold editorial and newsroom leadership positions. Her work has helped normalise women’s leadership within Somali media institutions.
In 2025, Maryan continued to represent Somali women journalists in high-level national and international forums, contributing to policy dialogues on press freedom, gender-responsive governance, and human rights. Her long-standing advocacy for 30 percent women’s political participation and accountable media governance has influenced newsroom policies and national debates.
Beyond media reform, the recognition reflects her broader humanitarian and peacebuilding engagement, including support for displaced women, promotion of girls’ education, and participation in community-based peace initiatives. These efforts underscore her integrated approach to women’s empowerment across media, civic, and community spaces.
This recognition builds on her growing regional and global profile, including her selection among Africa’s 50 Most Outstanding Women in Media and Communications (#Nzinga50) in 2023. In 2025, she further strengthened partnerships with international organisations, global media networks, and human rights institutions—mobilizing resources, visibility, and protection mechanisms for Somali women journalists.
For SOMWA and its partners, this recognition affirms the effectiveness and relevance of sustained investment in women-led media reform, ethical journalism, and gender equality initiatives. Maryan Seylac’s work continues to demonstrate measurable impact at institutional, national, and community levels.
