Mogadishu, 5 July 2022 – Efforts to increase women’s participation in Somalia’s political processes received a significant boost following a two-day training programme organized the Political Affairs Unit of the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) and Hano Academy, a capacity building institute offering social development skills.
The “post-election workshop” in Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital, brought together 20 women who were trained on leadership, communication skills, good governance, and gender equality strategies to prepare them for leadership roles.
In her remarks the Deputy Head of Mission for ATMIS, Ms. Fiona Lortan, said that in collaboration with local organizations, ATMIS has advocated for, and supported, a larger leadership role for women in Somalia’s political processes at the local and national level.
“True reconciliation and post-conflict peacebuilding can only be successful with the full inclusion and participation of Somali women, who bear the brunt of the impact of violence and insecurity,” reiterated Ms. Lortan.
Ms. Lortan said that ATMIS will continue to work closely with the government of Somalia and civil society organizations to capacitate and empower Somali women to address issues of concern to them, and in particular to address women’s challenges in political participation and decision making.
“Much more work needs to be done in the next four years to ensure that governance issues are addressed, including ensuring that the role of women is entrenched in the final constitution and ATMIS remains committed to supporting this process,” said Ms. Lortan.
“We must overcome the barriers that women face. Never close the door behind you; instead, push it open to make room for a sister,” said Dr. Sadiya Siad, the Chancellor of Hano Academy.
ATMIS Political Affairs Officer, Muna Hassan Mohamed, explained that the workshop presented an opportunity to analyze and draw lessons from the just concluded elections.
“As ATMIS, we are geared to support both the Government of Somalia and Somali women to enable the women play an increasing role in the political affairs of the country.”
In the run-up to Somalia’s last elections, ATMIS supported the agenda for 30 percent women’s political representation, emphasising that having more seats for women was significant to the development of a strong, inclusive and stable nation since women constitute the majority of the country’s population.
Under its mandate, ATMIS advocates for the recognition of the important role of women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts and in peacebuilding, their effective participation and involvement in all efforts, and the need to increase the role of women in decision making and leadership, as envisaged in the Somali Women’s Charter.