UNDP- Over the last 20 years, Somalia’s conflicts have triggered extreme poverty, violence and a complex set of political and social grievances that remain a threat to the country’s stability.

All these vulnerabilities, alongside deeply rooted cultural and social norms, shape the life circumstances of women and girls, who are largely excluded from formal decision-making structures. Somali women make up only 14 percent of the Federal Parliament and in some state parliaments as low as one percent.
My work for women and girls is focused on the justice system. I work to give women the education, knowledge and tools they need to become paralegals, prosecutors, police officers and other roles where they can challenge and address gender inequalities.
I help strengthen the judicial and security sectors to prevent sexual violence, expand social services for survivors and better equip police, judges and prosecutors to help women and girls and ensure they get legal redress.
I also support the development of gender-responsive laws, so that women can claim their rights or seek justice if they suffer violations such as gender violence or female genital mutilation*. According to UNICEF, 98% of women aged 15 to 49 in Somalia have undergone female genital mutilation. Nearly half (45%) of Somali women aged 20 to 24 were married before the age of 18.
Read more: How I work to end violence against women in Somalia
Source: UNDP
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