國際海洋資訊

Empower Women,

Empower the Blue Economy

Orina Chang

Chair professor and Associate Dean, School of Banking and Finance,

National Sun Yat-sen University

Keywords: Somaliland, Blue Economy, Women Empowerment, South-South Cooperation

Chi-Chen Chang serves as Senior Portfolio Manager and Head of Alternative Investments. She has extensive experience in financial investment, specializing in alternative assets such as private equity, hedge funds, and real estate. Since joining Morgan Stanley in 2016, she has managed diversified investment strategies, consistently delivering steady growth and excellent risk-adjusted performance for clients.

Introduction

Somaliland is a self-declared republic in the Horn of Africa, bordered by Djibouti to the west, Ethiopia to the south, and Somalia to the east. Roughly the size of England and Wales, it spans about 137,600 km² and has an estimated population of around 4-5 million people. The population is almost entirely ethnically Somali and predominantly Sunni Muslim, with Islam declared the state religion. It's economy today remains heavily dependent on livestock and diaspora remittances. Livestock (primarily camels, sheep, goats, and cattle) contributes about 60% of GDP and 85% of export earnings, employing the majority of the workforce. Meanwhile, remittances from abroad inject roughly $1 billion annually, making Somaliland one of the most remittance-dependent economies in Africa. This narrow economic base leaves Somaliland vulnerable to shocks (like droughts that devastate herds) and underscores the need for diversification.

In recent years, Somaliland has forged a unique partnership since 2020 with Taiwan as it seeks both investment and international partnerships. Under the leadership of the current Ambassador from Taiwan, Allen C. Lou (羅振華), Taiwan has supported Somaliland in sectors like education, health, energy, and minerals. In Education, dozens of Somaliland students have received scholarships to Taiwanese universities in fields such as public health, agriculture, and engineering. Taiwan's International Cooperation and Development Fund (ICDF) has also launched vocational training – for example, a new Innovation Zone in Hargeisa that trained a cohort of women in digital skills and ICT literacy. In healthcare, Taiwan has donated equipment (such as COVID-19 aid and hospital supplies) and dispatched medical missions. On the energy front, Taiwan's state-owned CPC Corporation entered a joint venture to explore oil and gas in Somaliland's onshore block SL10B/13. In the minerals sector, Somaliland has discovered potential deposit of lithium – a critical mineral for batteries. To this front, a U.S. congressional hearing highlighted that a U.S.-Taiwan company (The Chang Development Company 張氏開發) is interested in exploring these lithium reserves.

With the potential of rare earth minerals that could help drive the Somaliland's economy, Somaliland's strategic coast on the Gulf of Aden offers another avenue for economic expansion. The Port of Berbera, long a regional trade hub, is undergoing a major upgrade through a partnership with DP World (Dubai). A new container terminal completed in 2021 expanded Berbera's capacity from 150,000 TEUs to 500,000 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) per year. DP World has invested $442 million in a phased expansion that extend the berth to 1,000m and ultimately enable 2 million TEU annual throughput. This modernized port, plus a new Berbera Corridor highway to Ethiopia, positions Somaliland to capture transit trade and develop logistics services. Berbera's growth is crucial for diversification, as it can reduce over-reliance on livestock by turning Somaliland into a gateway for regional commerce.

Already, around 80% of commodities imported into Somaliland are re-exported to Ethiopia and beyond, highlighting the port's regional importance. With further investment, Berbera can anchor a broader "blue economy" – leveraging ocean resources and maritime industries for growth. The blue economy concept encompasses sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, maritime transport, coastal tourism, and marine energy. For Somaliland, developing its blue economy could unlock new jobs and revenue streams from its 850 km coastline and rich marine waters (which are currently  underutilized, with fisheries contributing <2% of GDP). However, success in this sector will depend on inclusive human capital development – in particular, empowering women to participate and lead.

Figure 1. Geographic Location of Somaliland

Photo credit: Shutterstock

Female Labor Participation and Taiwan's Human Capital Role

To date, Somaliland's gender gaps in education and employment remain significant. Literacy and schooling reflect a disparity that roughly 44% of Somaliland's women (15+ years) can read and write, versus 52% of men. In rural areas the female literacy rate is much lower, barely 10% in some pastoral communities. Cultural norms, domestic responsibilities, and limited school access have historically kept many women out of the workforce. Paradoxically, although fewer women have formal jobs, Somali society often relies on women in practice to keep families and businesses running – especially when men are absent or distracted. This phenomenon is mainly due to the widespread habit of qat (khat) chewing among men. Qat is a mild narcotic leaf that occupies many Somaliland men for hours each afternoon, leaving them unproductive. It's estimated 90% of adult males chew qat daily in Somaliland. The financial and social toll of this addiction is high – Somaliland spends over $500 million a year (about 30% of GDP) importing qat. This dynamic suggests that empowering women with skills and opportunities could have an outsized impact on Somaliland's economy.

As previously mentioned, Taiwan's engagement in Somaliland has placed strong emphasis on human capital development, benefiting both genders but with potential to especially uplift women. Through scholarship programs, Taiwan has funded Somaliland's brightest students (male and female) to pursue higher education in Taiwan's universities. In 2024 alone, 32 Somaliland students received Taiwan scholarships (through MOFA and ICDF), and over 130 Somalilanders have studied in Taiwan since ties were established. Many scholarship recipients are women entering STEM fields, medicine, and public health, which helps chip away at the gender gap in advanced skills. Additionally, Taiwan has supported vocational training and technical education within Somaliland. A notable initiative is the Somaliland Innovation Zone (SIZ) launched in 2021 with Taiwan's support. Through SIZ, the Taiwan Technical Mission ran a five-week ICT course exclusively for women, training 32 female government and private sector employees in computer skills (from word processing to digital graphic design). Courses like this not only improve women's employment prospects in an increasingly digital economy, but also empower them to start businesses (some trainees used their new skills to design logos and plan entrepreneurial ventures).

Taiwan has experience leveraging its own human capital for economic growth – its "economic miracle" was built in part on educating women and integrating them into export manufacturing and services. In sectors directly relevant to the blue economy, Taiwan offers a wealth of expertise that Somaliland can tap into. For example, Taiwan is a global leader in aquaculture and fisheries science; its distant-water fishing fleet is among the world's largest, and it has pioneered sustainable aquaculture techniques for species like grouper and milkfish. Taiwanese academia and industry include many female scientists, technicians, and business owners in marine industries . This experience could be shared through training programs for Somaliland's aspiring "fishpreneurs" – teaching women how to farm fish or sea cucumbers, how to process and package seafood, and how to manage co-ops and supply chains. Likewise, Taiwan's advanced port logistics and shipping industries (where women now hold many management roles) can provide mentorship as Somaliland trains a new workforce for Berbera Port operations. The Somaliland-Taiwan partnership, while still young, has the potential to deliberately cultivate a female-driven blue economy workforce. By channeling scholarships and technical assistance towards maritime subjects – e.g. marine biology, coastal engineering, fisheries management – Taiwan can help Somaliland build a cadre of educated women ready to lead in fisheries, port administration, marine tourism, and related fields.

Figure 2. Berbera Port

Photo credit: Shutterstock

Figure 3. Outstanding Somaliland Female Students Studying Higher Education in Taiwan

Photo credit: Taipei Representative Office in Somaliland

Kenya - A Case Study: Women's Fish Processing Cooperatives

To visualize what a women-empowered blue economy could look like for Somaliland, we could examine successes elsewhere in Africa. To this end, Kenya offers a case study demonstrating how empowering women in the blue economy can transform communities.

In coastal Kenya (as well as around Lake Victoria), women have long been the unsung heroes of the fishing industry. While men usually dominate fishing at sea, women dominate the post-harvest sector – they purchase fish at the landing sites and handle processing (sun-drying, smoking, salting, or frying the fish) and marketing in local markets. These female fish processors, often called "mama karanga" (fish frying mothers) at the coast, typically operate informally with very small capital. In the past, lack of access to credit and cold storage meant women had little choice but to accept whatever price the middlemen offered, leading to slim profits. However, in the last decade, Kenya has seen the rise of women's cooperatives and micro-finance support in the fisheries sector that are transforming these livelihoods. By organizing into cooperatives or beach management units (community fisheries organizations) and pooling resources, women have been able to invest in better technology, such as acquiring energy-efficient smoking kilns and solar fish dryers that reduce spoilage and improve product quality.

Micro-finance institutions, sometimes in partnership with NGOs, have started offering equipment leasing or low-interest loans tailored for women fish processors . In some fishing communities, women's groups have obtained freezers and ice boxes through grants, allowing them to store fish and sell when prices are favorable rather than rush to sell at low prices. As a result, women are capturing more value from the fish trade. A World Bank-supported program in East Africa noted that when women received training plus improved processing technology (like solar tents), their incomes and asset ownership rose significantly. 

Beyond income, these cooperatives also give women a stronger voice in fisheries management that was historically male-dominated. In Kenya's South Coast, for example, women-led cooperatives now participate in co-managing marine resources, ensuring sustainable practices (such as observing closed seasons and protecting mangrove nurseries) in exchange for microcredit and marketing support from government  agencies. The transformation of informal female fishmongers into organized entrepreneurs has had ripple effects: families have more stable year-round income; communities get improved food security through reduced post-harvest losses; and the women gain social recognition as equal contributors to the household.

Figure 4. Outstanding Somaliland Students Studying Higher Education in Taiwan

Photo credit: Taipei Representative Office in Somaliland

Conclusion

A gender-inclusive blue economy is not a lofty ideal for Somaliland – it is a practical strategy to achieve the country's development aspirations. By actively involving women in new maritime industries, Somaliland can double its talent pool and ensure the benefits of growth reach all citizens. The World Economic Forum estimates that closing gender gaps in labor markets could add 26% to global GDP. In Somaliland's context, empowering women in the blue economy will help tackle several national goals – reducing unemployment to increase household incomes and diversify its economy.

Taiwan's role as a development partner remains pivotal in this journey. Through continued support in education and technical know-how, Taiwan can help ensure that Somaliland's women have the skills and confidence to captain fishing boats, run fish processing plants, or launch startups in seafood export and marine tourism. The friendship between Taiwan and Somaliland is built on mutual values of self-reliance and democracy; by extending that ethos to include women's empowerment, the partnership can become a model of inclusive South-South cooperation. Already, Taiwan's training programs (like the women-in-tech initiative and scholarships) are planting seeds for a future cohort of female leaders in Somaliland's economy. Going forward, targeted programs – perhaps a "Women in Blue Economy" initiative funded jointly by Taiwan and international donors – could fast-track the integration of women into fisheries and port logistics jobs via internships, seed grants, and exchange programs with Taiwanese experts in aquaculture and marine management.

Figure 5. Mama Karanga and the Fish Product Processing to Sale Process

Photo credit: Shutterstock