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.