From 2005 to 2012, she served as the Minister of Women Development and Family Affairs of the autonomous Puntland regional state in northeastern Somalia.

[3] In this capacity, she was among the 2011 jury members of the Puntland Education Fund, a state-run scholarship reward system for outstanding local students.

The gathering was attended by a number of senior government officials, including President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud.

Gelle and other panel members therein discussed various federal matters, among which were constitutional amendment procedures, public consultation, and the committee's duty protocols.

She cited a lack of sufficient time left for the panel to complete its allotted tasks as the main reason for her resignation.

Gelle suggested that some committee members had been working too slowly to meet the deadline, and also indicated that there was a dearth of funds necessary to manage the commission's affairs independently.