Press Statement: Puntland Political Women Inclusion

To: The President of Puntland, Dr. Cabdiweli Cali Gas
Puntland Presidential Candidates
The Dispute Resolution Committee (Gudiga Khilaafaadka)
Puntland Traditional Elders
International Community
Puntland Religious Scholars
Puntland Women Organizations
Puntland Civil Society
Puntland Media Organizations
Puntland Human Rights Defender
Punsaa
Peace Development and Research Center (PDRC)

Garowe, Puntland, Somalia December 27, 2018, – Concerned women of Puntland are calling upon the president of Puntland, Puntland presidential candidates for 2019 election, traditional elders, Religious Leaders, women groups, civil society and the International Community to prioritize the participation and political inclusion of women in the parliamentarian election process of Puntland in 2019.

We are appealing urgently to all decision makers to give opportunities to female parliamentarian candidates who have done their due diligence, paid the fees and submitted their applications to the Dispute Resolution Committee (Gudiga Khilaafaadka) following and completing all requirements to become a parliamentarians member in 2019. These female candidates deserve equal and fair treatment for their aspiration to be part of the 2019 elected parliamentarians as much as their male counterparts. This is their right as citizens of Puntland.

Poverty, poor health, and poor education are too often left on the margins of women and children and therefore they must be part and parcel of policies that impact them and their families.

We the Concerned women of Puntland appeal to your just side to not allow personal agendas and nepotism to prevail, muting the female parliamentarian voice. The Puntland Women deserves confidence in their abilities to bring change to Puntland, but if their abilities are marginalized their contribution to the progress and development of Puntland will be greatly hampered.

These are our humble demands for this election:

• Prioritize parliamentarian inclusion, and political participation and engagement of female candidates in the election process in 2019, keeping in mind that women are often the driving force for positive social change. They must be given an opportunity to lead as policy maker’s and co-creators of laws and policies as leaders and not be seen as mere beneficiaries of policies and programs enacted on their behalf.
• The election process must be fair and equal and free of nepotism and marginalization of women. Also the process must not be one with personal agenda and self gain. Doing so will be detrimental to the progress and development of Puntland.
• All 10 female candidates who have submitted their application, must be given priority given to the closed door campaigns and the unfair process used to give priority to males in the family of the traditional elders making the selection
• The Dispute Resolution Committee (Gudiga Khilaafaadka) must show their leadership as a body to not yield to personal favors and must not break under pressure and avoid any interference with their sworn statement to be fair and equal and to not push female candidates application to the favor of their male counterparts
• We demand that the entire election process be free from the hazardous practice of corruption, the election should be peaceful and timely
• We urge the Dispute Resolution Committee (Gudiga Khilaafaadka) to stay away from bias and nepotism
• We urge the International Community to keep a close eye and not to be hands off for doing so will be to the detriment of women in Puntland.
• We urge Religious Scholars to pressure decision makers to not allow bias, inequality and nepotism to prevail in the parliamentarian election process
• One person one vote must be a priority for the next president and it must be done in a comprehensive free and fair manner to give citizens of Puntland their free choice to exercise their political will.

The danger of not having one single female in parliament in 2019 is looming. The possibility of having 66 male parliamentarian in 2019 will be a stain in the history of Puntland and this will be forever stamped on the history of the mother of Somalia. Please let us make sure this doesn’t take hold.

Not having women in this parliament in 2019 loudly says women in Puntland don’t matter. It’s a message to young hopeful girls that their aspiration as future politicians of this land do not matter.

We concerned women of Puntland cannot accept this reckless disregard for females in this land to exercise their political right, and we will not accept it when we see our sisters across this region like Ethiopia in all ranks of national politics and having a female president in the highest positions in their country.

We urge every decision maker to allow equal and just minds to prevail and give female candidates of Putland to exercise their political right.

Thank You

We, the undersigned Concerned Women Of Puntland, agree on the release of this press statement:

Casha Ahmed Abdalla – Former Federal Parliamentarian 2000 – 2012 – and Federal Minister Xalima Cali Warsame – Poet and Woman Advocate
Yasmeen Maxamuud – Entrepreneur and writer
Ardo Siciid Maxamuud – Women Advocate
Anisa Cabdiqafaar – Women Advocate
Muuno Ahmed Abdalla – Poet and women advocate
Fosia Said Aw Musse– Women’s Advocate

Current Puntland Parliamentarian Candidates for 2019 are: