12th March 2012 Nairobi, Kenya
Celebrating International Women’s Day
Last week the world marked International Women’s Day – a day to renew our commitment to the empowerment, education and advancement of women and girls around the world.
Somalia is, according to a 2011 survey, one of the worst countries in the world in which to be a woman. Women are subjected to violence, harassment and discrimination at every level. Many are forced to give birth in appalling conditions, with little or no antenatal or postnatal care. As a result, Somali women are among the most high-risk groups in terms of maternal healthcare in the world. Yet women in Somalia make up well over 50% of society. So why do many continue to face such appalling, often life-threatening situations?
Empowering Somali women is a key part of our work at the British Office for Somalia. Over the last year, UKaid, through the Department of International Development, has supported interventions that directly benefit women, including providing over 6,700 women with antenatal care services; with over 6,500 under-fives immunised. We helped generate over 235,000 days of direct employment specifically for women. This is in addition to our humanitarian assistance, which has reached over 300,000 people, many of whom were women and children.
But empowering women doesn’t end with antenatal services and better healthcare. It’s also about ensuring that women’s voices are heard in the political process. I understand the frustration and disappointment that not enough Somali women were included in the official Somali delegations to the London Conference last month. Despite this, the UK secured two references to women in the Conference Communiqué: one stated that women must be part of the political process; the other called for action to address the grave human rights violations and abuses that women face. The critical issue is that we now follow up. Women demand – and deserve – an equal voice to that of men. Yet there has still only ever be one Cabinet post at a national level held by a woman – the Minister of Women and Family care. Last month, the ‘Garowe II’ meeting in Puntland confirmed that women would have at least 30% of the seats in the new Constituent Assembly. This is a start, but still not enough.
As the Foreign Secretary has said in his statement marking International Women’s Day,
“Women’s rights and human rights will remain at the heart of British foreign policy. In countries where women’s rights do not exist, we want them put in place;… No country can address its problems by drawing only on the talents of one of the sexes. No society can be free while the rights of one half of its citizens are curtailed. No lasting peace can be achieved after conflict unless the needs of women are met. Britain will continue to work to support women’s leadership and participation worldwide”.
So my questions for this blog are simple: How can women get more of a voice in the political process in Somalia? Can Somalia ever expect to have a woman as President – why not next time? And what are men not saying about the process that women would and do?
As ever, I look forward to your responses and comments.
Dear Matt, my full respect to you for writing a report about such a sensitive problem /topic!Honestly I must aĺso admit
that I ‘ve never heard of celebrations in re. of this “Womens day”in Africa.And surely not in a torturted,multi- seperated
country like Somalia.I do think:If every single man would treat his wife or girlfriend every day in a way of which he wanted to be treated-those days were no longer useful.
But-to me-it is another step into the right direction:Total equal treatment of women and men. BW, Ingo -Steven Wais, Stuttgart
My first Community Cafe’ questions?
Subject: Newly appointed committees (North/South dialogue)
Why President Siilaanyo did not include any women in his commitee?
Why Sheekh Shariif did not include any women in his Commitee?
Is there any place in the world were peace has flourished without women?
Why It feels that we the women have no right to be part of these important discussions?
Please feel free to answer in a very constructive way.
Let us share the pain of the women of Las Anod whose children,brothers and husbands have been tortured and jailed in the notorious Mandheera Jail of Somaliland,simply for supporting the new Khatumo State of Somalia.Their plight and story is captured in the websites of Horufadhi.com and Lasanod.com.
Let us condemn the brutality of the occupying Somaliland militia who are brutalising the innocent people of Las Anod,who are against the secessionist dream of Somaliland.
Where are Human rights watch and other such bodies who are silent on the atrocities being committed by Somaliland in Sol, Sanaag and Ayn Regions of Northern Somalia against the innocent Dhulbahante Community?
30% female representativity in the new Assembly is not just a good start, it’s a huge step forward coming from a such a low base. But from where will female leadership emerge and what is being done to support it? Are debates encouraged through public platforms? There needs to be an infrastructure in place where people from all sides can come together to talk in a safe space.
Source of the above article is here: http://samawadenews.com/somali-women-between-hope-and-reality/
Mr. Ambassador Matt Baugh
Here is very interesting short artical about Somali women over the past years and months writen by Bashir God.
Somali women between hope and reality
by Bashir Goth
Browsing through Somali websites on the International Women’s Day on March 8, two episodes attracted my attention; one was heartwarming and inspiring while the other was disheartening and sad.
Heartwarming was seeing Somali women in Mogadishu celebrating the International Women’s Day in their traditional Somali butterfly attire since the routing of Al Shabab from the city.
In a scene that was reminiscent of the old days before extremist ideologies and alien cultures shrouded the beauty and intelligence of Somali women in mourning garments, it was refreshing to see them come out dressed in their modest but elegant Diric, garbosaar and hagoog or Masar attire and celebrate the International Women’s Day in a dinner hosted by the TFG President Sheikh Sharif’s two wives. One cannot but be delighted by the transformation that took place in a few months since Al Shabab were driven out from Mogadishu. In their days, women were not allowed to celebrate even weddings let alone international events. They were forced to wear the Al Shabab ordained head-to-toe black cloaks and publicly rebuked and sometimes punished for wearing bras. It was equally enchanting to see Sheikh Sharif himself attending the women’s dinner. Some may argue and rightly whether sitting between his two wives was sending the wrong signal to the millions of Somali girls who would be watching this event from around the world. But the fact that a Somali president who himself went through a remarkable transformation was attending a women’s dinner party itself reflected the air of freedom that Somali women in Mogadishu were now breathing.
The women’s quick change of heart and garb is also a proof of the Somali women’s teflonian character that rejects alien cultures to stick to them no matter how forcefully it is imposed on them. Now, Al Shabab can see that just like any people living under tyranny, Somali women had never accepted the unaesthetic lifestyle that they tried to impose on them. Just like fascism, communism and the countless tin pot dictators that have all gone and left nothing but bad memory behind, Al Shabab will only be remembered by the amputated limps of the youth that they left behind. Hope has returned to Somali women and should never leave them again.
The disheartening episode however was a heart wrenching report and plea for help that Amina Elmi Fareed, a brave woman and head of a civilian organization by the name of CDA, so eloquently and strongly related about the rape and humiliation that women in the Awdal & Salal regions of Somaliland had to endure.
In a press conference that she held on the eve of the International Women’s Day, Amina reported that her organization had recorded 10 rape crimes in the past months.
In a tone mixed with sadness and helplessness, Amina narrated how she appealed to Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs over the last successive years and in fact to all relevant government institutions to bring an end to the recurrent crimes of rape against women.
She was appalled by how men who commit such heinous crimes against women are protected and defended by the society and how the society dismisses the tears and shattered dignity of women victims.
In a rare and brave repudiation of the complacency of traditional elders such as Sultans, Chiefs, Ministers and the community of men towards rape victims, she said: “ninka wax kufsanaya caaqilkii baa daba socda oo wasiirkii baa daba socda oo suldaankii baa daba socda oo communitigii baa daba socda. Miyaanay haddaba ayaan darro ahayn gabadh xuquuqdeedii lagu xad gudbay ee haddana raggii waaweynaa oo dham isku soo kaxaysanayaan…bal wiil yar oo dhalinyaro ahi haba xadgudbo, qoladan waaweyn ee ninkii wax kufsaday daba socotaa anigu wax laga xishoodo ayaan u arkaa. Waa wax laga xishoodo.” (The man who commits the rape has the minister, the clan chief, the sultan and the community behind him. Isn’t unfortunate to see a woman whose dignity and rights have been violated has still to face all these prominent men alone. I can understand if a young commits such a crime but to see these prominent men of the society rallying behind the criminal is indeed shameful, very shameful).
Amina appealed to the government to enact strong laws criminalizing rape and giving harsh punishment to those who commit rape.
In fact rape has become rampant not only in Somaliland but all the Somali territory. Dr. Ahmed Dahir Aden, Sexual Assault Referral Center (SARC) at Hargeisa General Hospital, reported that: “Rape cases are on the rise in Somaliland year after year. For example, in our office, we recorded 105 rape cases [in 2010] and the number [in 2011] has increased to 145.” It also soars in Galkayo, in Mogadishu’s IDP camps.
Despite this disheartening picture, it is encouraging to see brave women such as Amina Elmi Fareed stand up, strongly and bravely against men favoring culture and to shame community elders and government officials for being accomplices of crime against women. Amina and all other unsung Somali women struggling to lift centuries old injustices against women deserve the support of every conscientious Somali. Ironically, it is women who despite bearing the brunt of all society’s ills that have kept the Somali people afloat over the last 20 years of internecine wars and misery caused by men.
By Bashir Goth
E-mail: bsogoth@yahoo.com
Hi Amb Matt,
Nice to see this blog is still continuing following the Somalia Conference.
I endorse totally your sentiments expressed here regarding women in Somalia.
Although my sex disqualifies me to (this time) really have a progressive understanding of the various issues faced by women in Somalia, my suggestion is very simple.
The single greatest thing to have come out of the civil war in Somalia is that Somalis are probably the most globalised Africans because you find them in every corner of the earth. Therefore women in the west have had the opportunity to excel due to equal access in education etc. Although in general I am a sceptic when it comes to the idea of dealing with the diaspora to resolve issues in Somalia, I think an exemption can be made here regarding the plight of women in Somalia. So I recommend seeking out Somali women of the diaspora with particular skill sets to help contribute at some level in dealing specifically with some of the issues faced by women in Somalia.
So a simple thing as inviting women of the diaspora community with particular skills to be embedded in the Somali govt or relevant NGO’s etc would i think be a positive step forward.