Breaking Boundaries: The Life Story of Ubax Maxamuud Ali from the Football Pitches of Somalia to Mechanics Workshops
By Hawa Nor Osman , Bilan Media
In Somalia, no one imagines the position of a football player, a referee, or a mechanic, let alone, a woman doing them.
The culture has blocked women from doing those jobs for ages. However, Ubax Maxamuud Ali is a 23-year-old woman from Somalia who has managed to break the norms and has done all the three jobs, which, for the better part, has been done by men, playing football, officiating it, and even doing vehicle repairs.
Her life is a chronicled tale of bravery and determination and showcases what a Somali woman has become in the domain of sports and other technical fields.
2022 – Looking for Employment Outside the Country
In 2022, Ubax spent two years in Kenya trying to look for a job. This experience opened her eyes to the overall issues Somali women face in relation to employment and professional growth both domestically and internationally.
First Steps on the Pitch is a stage of life that all aspiring football players go through.
“I used to be a player,” Ubax said while recalling the history.
In 2018, she became a member of Somalia’s 1st ever’ women’s football team which is a big milestone. At a while back, there was practically no aid for women football of any kind. A good number of women during that time suffered from social discrimination in addition to what is cited, no proper football facilities, and poor training standards.A woman footballer, particularly a Somali woman, faces very serious problems in a competitive set up,” is a quote by FIFA and Africa Women Football.
“As a woman, in Somalia, there are no proper organized tournaments, few woman football teams, and the infrastructure for women football is less than what is available for men football.”
Ubax tackle such issues from the beginning, with no intention of allowing societal views of her goals to slow her down.
2024 - From Player to Referee
After many years as a player, Ubax had the desire to tackle the challenge of being a referee.
"I became a player and had the dream of being a referee because of my desire to make a positive change in women’s football in my country," she states.
Even though she faced the question: "Why is a woman a referee?", she responded with:
"My dreams far outweigh the things I have to go through."
Her choice is a testimony to not only her resolve but the influence of FIFA and other governing bodies of the game in the regions in question which have focused on assisting women to gain access to such roles.
2025 – Learning Mechanics
Back to Mogadishu, she faced the same challenge like many other Somali women, which is the lack of job opportunities. Therefore she decided to specialize in an area which is not common among women in her country, which is mechanics.
"Being a mechanic is the only available option because of the high rate of unemployment in the country." My journey began with fixing Bajaj motorbikes and thereafter started working on bigger vehicles.
While people tend to react with disbelief when they see a woman working in this field, some encourage me saying ‘You are the first woman mechanic in Somalia,’ she explains.
Over the years, she has also acquired other important skills like working on electrical systems and repairing engines.
She adds, "It is true that there is great demand placed on a mechanic, but owing to the amount of knowledge that I have acquired, there is also great pleasure to be found, and to my instructors, a great deal of appreciation is owed."
2024 2025 – The Rise Of An Influencer
Ubax has now around Somalia become a source of influence and motivation around the world.
To women she says, “You can do anything. Do not let people dishearten you. If men can do it, you can do it too.”
Also, her story points to persistent issues like the small number of women’s only teams, unfinished tournaments, and poor infrastructure. However, the growth of women’s clubs and international sponsorship give hope for Somali women athletes of the future.
A Story Of Hope
The story of Ubax Maxamuud is a story of resilience, creativity as well as hard work. She is one of the few representatives of the younger generation willing to break the stereotype that Somali women, can not thrive at the intersection of sports and technical fields, and are willing to do so.
Her remarkable achievements; even in the most difficult conditions, displays the fact that with mentorship and opportunity, there is no limit to what women can accomplish.
Her life, Ubax, is an example; with a strong sense of conviction and hardwork, there can be a radical change in one's prospects and social standards.
