Title: Senior Advisor for Women’s Health and Crisis Response, DWOB (Legacy Contributor)
Specialization: Obstetrics, Women’s Rights, Humanitarian Health Systems
Country: Somalia
Profile: Dr. Hawa Abdi was a legendary Somali physician and human rights advocate whose work laid the groundwork for DWOB Gender and Emergency Health Division. As one of Somalia’s first female doctors, she combined medical care with social advocacy, founding a vast compound that functioned as a hospital, school, and shelter during Somalia’s civil war.
Her experience shaped DWOB community-based approach to crisis health care and women’s health leadership. She strongly influenced DWOB policies on reproductive health in conflict zones, advocating for dignity, safety, and access to care for displaced women and children. Dr. Abdi’s humanitarian model remains embedded in DWOB field response framework.