Bonding and bridging : a case study of four Somali women’s organizations in Norway, Oslo. Their roles, activities and the collaborations existing between them

This study aims at finding out basic information and factors that contribute to the establishment of four Somali women‟s organizations in Norway, particularly in Oslo, to describe their main activities, roles, visions, and also to establish whether any form of collaboration or links exist between them. I interviewed some of the officials of these organizations using a structured interview guide. The other objectives were to assess the social and economic impact of the many organizations on members of this minority immigrant group who have settled in Norway, and also to find out whether the presence of these organizations serves the needs of their members and the purpose for which they were established. The data I obtained indicates that most of these organizations were established in order to assist their members with the various problems facing Somali women after coming to Norway. Despite common belief, the leaders of these organizations emphasised that the organizations were not founded based on the different clans originating from the regions from which the members came from in their country of origin, Somalia. The coexistence of organizations with overlapping or even competing fields of interests and activities can be explained by the fact that there was a certain mistrust that existed between the different organizations of this particular community, which played a significant role in formation of these organizations. When it comes to membership, most of the women and girls joined these organizations in order to obtain assistance with the various problems facing them after coming to Norway. Such problems were for instance, lack of basic necessities including accommodation, appropriate clothing for the winter, employment, language barriers, racial discrimination, and also to maintain a form of social identity within their ethnic community. Most of these organizations also provide different types of training, such as in the Norwegian language, Somali culture, traditional music and dances and health care, as well as discouraging the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM). Some of the organizations also teach the women skills such as tailoring, cookery or catering and offer professional courses, which prepare them for job opportunities in their new host country of Norway. Furthermore, some of the organizations managed to receive economic help in order to provide the women with swimming lessons and other activities. Other notable activities undertaken