Female genital mutilation, political corruption, and women’s rights in saida hagi dirie herzi’s “against the pleasure principle,”, “government by magic spell”, and “the barren stick”

Abstract EN

This paper is a study of Somali fiction writer Saida Hagi Dirie Herzi’s three short stories: “Against The Pleasure Principle” (1990), which is about female genital mutilation; “Government By Magic Spell” (1992), which is a criticism of the political corruption; and “The Barren Stick” (2002), which is the story of the strife of a woman in her two marriages.

Saida Hagi Dirie Herzi’s stories delve into the intricacies of several burning issues.

It can be described as a treatise advocating for deserting the old ways as the only way to move forward and bring peace and harmony to both the individual and to the Somali society as a whole.

Her short stories have one theme in common: the desire for positive change aimed at transforming Somalia into a country characterized by basic human rights and an emphasize on political institutions based on rule of law.