Somalia Government Fails To Protect Women’s Rights

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 08:00 am

Women are the foundation of society and the pillars of social development. During the Farmajo term, women faced numerous challenges, including robbery, rape, murder, bombings, displacement, and their constitutional rights were not protected by the government. Women had no political influence in the failed Farmajo-led government.

There are a few members in both houses of parliament who have no political influence. There are no key positions in the current government, which are places where political decisions are made, such as speaker of the parliament, presidential spokesperson, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and extra.

On the other hand, women are facing insecurity. Women are the most affected by the explosions in the country, especially in the capital Mogadishu. The government has neglected the security of Somali women and deprived them of the right to participate in national political decision making process. Farmajo’s illegitimate government has rejected calls from women’s organizations, academics and opposition parties for political involvement. The calls were aimed at exploring the political share of women in the country.

Women deserve special respect and consideration, but during Farmajo’sera, Somali women faced particular challenges, including mothers whose children were sent to war frontlines. At the end of the last year, there were reports that Somali youths had been deployed in the Tigrean region during fierce fighting between Ethiopian forces and the TPLF, which questioned the deployment of trained youths. This has touched the hearts of Somali mothers whose children have been in Eritrea.

Somali women’s organizations meeting in Mogadishu have expressed concern over the unconfirmed 30 per cent quota for women in the two houses of parliament to be formed before election. They complained that they were not given their role in leading the country.

Somali women, who have a small minority in Farmajo’s late government, have repeatedly complained to various national assemblies and exposed the injustices perpetrated against Farmajo’s government. So far there are two women ministers and a few numbers of parliamentarians in both houses of the Somali parliament and this shows how the Farmajo government has neglected the rights of Somali women.

Amina Mohamud Abdi, a Somali lawyer and women’s rights activist, said she was always asked how a girl could represent an entire clan. In response to the fact that the clan is not limited to men, this incident shows how Somali women’s rights have been violated.

Most Somali women fled abroad, especially those educated, when the Somali government failed to grant them their constitutional rights in this country. Ilhan Omar, one of the most influential Somali women in the United States at the moment, is one of the women who fled the country and gained her rights in other countries. But there are suspicions that Ilham Omar did not talk about the rights of Somali women as the United States has a role to play in the current Farmajo government.