ASSESSMENT OF SOMALIA WOMEN’S MOVEMENT (1980-2018)

This study was part of a continental study of the African women’s movement. It aimed to assess the current situation of women’s movements in Somalia, including existence, policy and programming spaces, threats and opportunities, and funding situation, among other aspects that would accelerate increased opportunities for their operations. The study also sought to assess the role of women’s movements in realizing development  in Africa, especially in the context of the SDGs and agenda 2063. It sought to identify trends in the women’s movement, especially about issues of interest to movements, as well as document best practices, strategies, and lessons learned in women’s movements’ engagements in promoting gender equality and the advancement of women and girls in Africa. The women’s movement in Somalia has grown in leaps and bounds since the colonial period. President Siad Barre’s military regime, which came into power in 1969, is credited with early policy changes in the advancement of women’s rights.