In order to give voice to these invisible actors, the United Nations International Research and Training Institute for the Advancement of Women (UN-INSTRAW) and the Associazione Diaspora e Pace (ADEP) are organizing a conference on Women, Peace and Security in Somalia, within the framework of Resolution 1325 and strengthening women’s participation in conflict resolution and peace-building processes.
The conference, which will take place from 2 to 5 September 2008 in Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania, concludes a UN-INSTRAW/ADEP project on building dialogue between women in Somalia, Somali women of the Diaspora, and representatives of the Somali Transitional Federal Government. These dialogue and networking processes, supported by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, aim to make women’s voice and vote a central component of the upcoming political elections in Somalia, currently scheduled for November 2009.
.jpg "Creative Commons, photo taken by: aheavens, January 2006")
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) estimates that there are 3 million Somalis presently living outside the country as migrants, refugees or asylum-seekers, which accounts for one-third of the domestic population (9 million). In addition to the significant amounts of money that Somali migrants send home as remittances, they have also been influential actors in encouraging support to peace- and State-building processes in Somalia from the Governments of their host countries. Women of the Somali Diaspora in various countries have also played a crucial role in terms of input and support to women’s participation in the peace process.
The Somali Transitional Federal Charter, which is the country’s temporary Constitution, includes very limited provisions on gender equality and women’s empowerment. The Charter states that at least 12% of the seats in the Somali Parliament must be occupied by women, though in the 2004 elections women only managed to win 21 of the 256 available seats (or less than 8%).
Much still needs to be done in order to encourage and support women’s participation as both voters and candidates in democratic elections, as well as decision-makers within Somali government institutions at the national, provincial and local levels.
The conference was preceded by two seminars held in Italy (one in Milan in February 2008 and the other in Bari in May 2008), which brought together women of the Somali Diaspora in order to reflect and debate on key issues such as the effects and gender dimensions of clan-based affiliations; the cultural and religious limitations imposed on women in Somalia; how to encourage women’s participation in the peace-building process; and the role of the Diaspora in this respect.
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Associazione Diaspora e Pace (ADEP) is an association of Somali women living Italy that works for the empowerment of Somali women, both in Somalia and as migrants in the Diaspora, in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and local authorities.
More information see the
Project Website.
View the
Conference Concept Note and the
Conference Agenda.
Press contact:
Ms. Valeria Vilardo
Communications Assistant
UN-INSTRAW
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Tel: 1 809-685-2111 ext. 227
