Somalia’s Puntland To Criminalise FGM
Female genital mutilation (FGM) will soon be criminalised in the semi-autonomous northeastern region of Somalia, Puntland. Puntland President Said Abdullahi Deni and his cabinet last week approved an anti-FGM bill, Thomson Reuters Foundation (TRF) reported. Parliament is to debate and approve it, setting the legal ground for ending the vice that affects 97.9 per cent […]
Pushing for Gender-Inclusive Representation
When a crisis hits Somalia, women and girls often bear the worst of it. Somalia is currently facing multiple shocks, including the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic, locust invasions, food insecurity and ongoing insurgency. As conflict across the country increases, so too does the threat of harassment, kidnapping and sexual violence against women and girls. As locusts […]
At Least 20 Al-Shabaab Members Killed In Army Ops – SNA Chief
At least 20 al-Shabaab militants were killed in a military operation in Somalia’s southern Lower Shabelle region, the army said on Thursday. Gen. Odawa Yusuf Rageh, the chief of Somalia’s army, told a military-run radio service that senior commanders of the group, which is affiliated with al-Qaeda, were among the dead. A military official in […]
UN Calls for End of FGM in Somalia
Somalia has one of the highest rates of female genital mutilation (FGM) in the world. According to the latest Somali Health and Demographic Survey, 99 per cent of women between the ages of 15 and 49 have been subjected to this extremely harmful and unacceptable practice. “FGM is a harmful practice that scars girls and […]
PM Reserves 30 Percent of Parliament Seats for Women in Upcoming Poll
Nearly a third of Somalia’s parliamentary seats will be reserved for female lawmakers in an election next month, the prime minister said, a measure long demanded by women’s rights campaigners in the Horn of Africa nation. While welcoming Saturday’s announcement by Prime Minister Mohamed Hussein Roble, some women’s groups cautioned that implementing the measure in […]
Somalia Agrees to De-Escalate Tensions With Kenya
Somalia agreed to de-escalate tensions with neighbouring Kenya during a conference Monday in Djibouti. Somalia said the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) put pressure on the country to resolve its diplomatic tiff with Kenya during the 38th Extraordinary Assembly of IGAD Heads of State and Government. IGAD, which consists of Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, South […]
Somaliland Cans Female Football Tournament As Un-Islamic
The Somaliland Women’s Football Tournament was expected to begin on Thursday in the capital Hargeisa Somalia’s breakaway region of Somaliland said on Thursday it had cancelled its first women’s football tournament as it fell foul of Islamic values, sparking outrage among women’s rights groups. The Somaliland Women’s Football Tournament, featuring six female teams representing Somaliland’s […]
Somali Women’s Inclusion in Politics Is Long Overdue
Somali women are exhausted of not being heard and side-lined at every opportunity, especially when they know that they can pivotal players in the political arena There is little doubt that women in Somalia have played a significant role in keeping the country afloat through decades of conflict and disaster. They are productive contributors to […]
UN Praises Women’s Role In Peace Building In Somalia
Somalia and the UN have lauded the role played by Somali women in peace, security and governance as the world celebrated the 20th anniversary of UN Security Council Resolution 1325. Hanifa Mohamed Ibrahim, minister of women and human rights development, said the government should now create new pathways for Somali women from all generations to […]
Somali Women Demand Guarantee Of 30% Of Parliament In 2021 Election
Women’s rights groups, prominent businesswomen and female politicians in Somalia are urging the country’s male-dominated parliament to pass a bill reserving 30% of seats for women in next year’s general election. Women hold 24% of the 329 seats in Somalia’s lower and upper houses of parliament, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), up from 14% in […]
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Maryam: 
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