February 16, 2023
Conext Updates: 

• Political and Security Updates
• Draughts and IDPs Influx

Key Intervention Achievements for Women 2 Women Project in Baidoa

WOMEN REFLECTIVE ATMOSPHERIC PANEL (WRAP 1)

• Activity 1: the role of women in ADR system- this activities was carried out on 23^rd November 2022. The dialogue had two main objectives; strengthening the role of women in ADRA transformation and promoting the roles of women in ADR decision-making:

• After long discussion among the participants, the following were the recomendations and takeaways from the meeting:

1. Meeting with the Minister of Justice, the ADR Chairman and Chairlady, and elders to discuss how the Hiil-bilaan women’s group will engage and participate in case management involving women’s safety and security, as well as how they can play an important role in the ADR system’s decision-making process;
2. Increasing the number of ADRA members by 30 members, primarily women from IDPs and minority groups, in order to strengthen the role of women in ADR.

• Talk with the minister about how to establish direct communication between the ministry, the ADR team, and the women’s platforms

• Activity 2: On November 24th, 2022, a horizontal dialogue was held to discuss the drought strategic action plan and how to amplify the voices of women in drought response.

• The following were the recommendations/take aways from the meeting:

1. To establish a women-led drought response committee to assist women in IDP camps and other vulnerable people, including minorities, because women are the backbone of every community. The committee should be composed of 21 members selected from IDPs, host community and the local authority.
2. To advocate for gender-sensitive or gender-mainstreaming drought response activities. The participants emphasized that drought affects women differently and makes them more vulnerable, not because they are naturally weaker, but because of their social roles in society and their limitations.
3. As a result, participants proposed first consulting with humanitarian actors to adapt gender sensitive drought response activities and prioritizing protection mainstreaming when carrying out distribution activities just to avoid unintended negative consequences for women and girls.

16 days of activism against Gender Based Violence

• Activity three: On December 8th, Isha Human Rights Organization, in collaboration with Albany and the South West Ministry of Women, Family Affairs, and Human Rights Development, conducted 16-days activism campaign against Gender Based Violence (GBV), with the goal of raising awareness about the consequences of violence against women and girls 

• and to provide a platform for women leaders to speak out violence against women and advocate for the protection of women from all forms of violence;

• Provide a space to participants of women-only dialogue to interact with other women including: women leaders, women activists, teachers, students, grassroots women and IDP women and collectively call for immediate actions that address the root causes of SGBV; 

• In attendance, The event was attended by a variety of actors, including CSOs, representatives from the Ministry of Women, elders, students, women groups and teachers.

• The theme of the event was “ women are pillars of peace and security”

• Provide a space to participants of women-only dialogue to interact with other women including: women leaders, women activists, teachers, students, grassroots women and IDP women and collectively call for immediate actions that address the root causes of SGBV; 

The key issues raised during the event

• Sexual abuse and exploitation, rape, and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) are all on the rise as a result of the ongoing drought, particularly in Bay and Bakool regions.

• The below-average GU and Dayr rainfalls in 2022 have resulted in crop failure and livestock death, severely reducing household income. As a result, heads of households, typically men, are less able to fulfill traditional responsibilities of primary provision for families, and the burden of providing economic support by women and adolescent girls is increased.

• This increases the vulnerability of female-headed households, including widows, women from minority clans, and those with disabilities, as they struggle to cope with rising food prices, scarcity of water, and discriminatory social cultural norms and practices that endanger the lives of women and girls and adversely affect their wellbeing, status, personal security, and health

the main outcome of the event

• The growing number of gender based violence cases call for an increase in the efforts on the prevention of GBV through creation of awareness and empowerment of activism.

• The court systems should be improved in order to hold perpetrators accountable and bring them to justice.

• Forced marriages contribute to an increase in cases of gender-based violence, particularly domestic violence and It should be discouraged.

• A campaign to enhance the enrollment of  more women and girls to institutions of learning at all the levels of education to enhance creation of awareness on violence against women and girls

• Provision of free education to girls and women in areas with extreme low literacy levels in the group thorough mobilization of resources to improve community awareness on prevention of gender based violence.

Key recommendation 

• Peace building and livelihood projects should be initiated and supported to increase mobility and income sources to reduce GBV

• All partners and activists in the fight against violence against women and girls should coordinate their efforts by sharing information on women’s rights advocacy.

• Traditional elders should increase their efforts to raise awareness about gender-based violence and to spearhead its abolition.

RADIO TALKSHOW 

Activity four: On the 12th of December, 2022, a radio talk show on the Women to Women Security Project Live Discussion Program was held in Baidoa.

The aim of the radio debate is to explore the current discourse around (in) security in a state of prolonged political transition in Somalia; and also to examine and discuss the main challenges that Somali women, girls, and marginalized communities must overcome in Southwest State (SWS). Ultimately, the goal is to increase visibility of security issues for women and girls in Baidoa and its environs, spread awareness of the 16 days of activism campaign, and maximize community and female buy-in in the W2WS dialogue activities.

Key objectives

The purpose of this hour-long segment is:

1. Sensitizing communities in Baidoa to the concept of women’s security through the information, experiences, and knowledge shared by the discussion between panelists on the radio show.

2. To provide targeted female stakeholders of the W2W the space to commemorate the 16 days of activism event and provide them a much needed platform to raise security issues that concern them together with other female panelists.

3. To recognize the critical roles that women play in conflict prevention and resolution in their own respective communities.

4. To advocate for inclusive and gender sensitive security for all.

5. To create space for women to share with stake holders their role in addressing issues affecting their security

Key participants

• Panelists for the Talk show included one staff member from the Ministry of Women, two CSO from the platform, and one non-platform CSO from Bay Women Association Network

Methodologies applied

• The panelists including the facilitator were briefed and given the questions in advance about the program before the commencement of the live discussion.  Then at the end of the discussion, the listeners were given time to call and give their feedback, questions and additions.

The key outcome

• Insecurity affects women and girls in a variety of ways. For example, when there is no security in an area, families often displace from their areas of origin to a safe place.

• Mostly the displaced persons establish IDP camps. In the IDP sites, there is no protective shelters, no light at night and usually women and girls travel long distance to fetch water so many women and girls are always at risk and exposed to sexual violence and IPV, as they seek casual work alternatives to support household income.

• A lack of sanitary items to protect dignity is affecting women’s mobility and access to markets and health facilities, while adolescent girls are missing out on school.

• The drought is one of the main root causes of women’s safety and security because women are burdened with the obligation of provision of basic needs such as food for their offspring. When performing such duties, they face a lot of risks which include sexual exploitation, domestic violence and other physical abuses.

• Conflict especially clan-conflict is another major root cause of women’s safety and security. Women across all clans have experienced violent events as a result of the conflicts that have affected southern Somalia since 1991. Many have had multiple traumatic experiences, sometimes over a prolonged period, including forced displacement, separation from children, beatings, looting, loss of loved ones (husbands and other close male relatives) and rape or attempted rape
• Forced marriages contribute to rising cases of gender based violence especially domestic violence on women and girls.
• Women can play a critical role in preventing violence against them and also can promote security in the community.  For example, women work at home, in the markets and also in schools. They can do awareness raising on the importance of peace, they can
• They can assist SGBV survivors by referring the survivor to hospital and can also advocate for legal action
• Counselling the injured, fearful or traumatized and they can do fundraising to help those in need

• Women currently have a low level of participation and representation in formal security institutions. Despite numerous programs and interventions aimed solely at encouraging and advocating for women’s participation and representation, this goal has yet to be fully realized. There is currently a gender desk, a female OB, and a small number of female police officers, but this is insufficient.

Vertical dialogue

• Activity 5: This activity was all about advocacy dialogue, which was carried out in response to the outcome of activity one. Participants requested in activity one to meet with the Minister of Justice, the ADR Chairman and Chairlady, and elders to discuss how the Hiil-bilagn women’s group will engage and participate in case management involving women’s safety and security.

• In attendance, the dialogue was attended by a variety of actors, including CSOs from the platform, DG and ADR coordinator from the Ministry of judiciary and justice, ADR members, ADR chairman and chairlady and  elders,

The key outcome

• Discusses the number of ADR centers, their operations, and their role in the community.

• in SWS, there are four ADR centers: two in Baidoa, one in Huddur, and one in Afgoye

• The ADR in one center has 60 members: 30 women and 30 men. They operate in the ten villages in Baidoa, so women account for half of the ADR members. The other center has ten members, with seven men and three women. They function similarly to the other ADR members in center one.

Challenges:

• Operational Challenges:

Change of previous workplan nd mode of proposal concept

• Program Challenge:

– Security and Politcal Tensions in the town has delayed some of planned actibvities.

– Un expected removal of male members in Hiilbilan Platforms. 

– Unforeseen reform of the structure for the previous established platforms.