UN in Somalia and Government Representatives Launch a New Joint Programme on Empowering Women

Mogadishu - UN Officials, Federal and State Government officials, members of the civil society and donor partners gathered today to mark the launch of a new Women, Peace and Protection Joint Programme.

Funded by the Peacebuilding Fund (PBF) (US$ 5 million) and the Somalia Multi Partner Trust Fund (MPTF) ($1.2 million of funding from Germany), the Programme is the result of inclusive consultations, collective planning and prioritization in the area of women, peace and security (WPS). It will be implemented by UNDP and UN Women, in partnership with the Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development (MoWHRD) and UNSOM. The event took place in the Aden Adde International Airport where the participating agencies signed a commitment banner to support Somali women in peacebuilding and leadership roles.

The programme’s aim is to promote women’s meaningful participation in peacebuilding processes in Somalia, particularly in decision-making and leadership roles, and to sustain peace at national and community levels. More concretely, the programme will engage, empower and capacitate women through legislative provisions and policy interventions, while strengthening and establishing infrastructures for peacebuilding. The programme will empower women as leaders and changemakers and promote the role of women-led organizations in peacebuilding, particularly at the grassroot level.

In her remarks on the occasion of the launch, H.E. Hanifa Ibrahim, Federal Minister of Women and Human Rights Development, said: “The support of the United Nations through the Peacebuilding Fund is timely as we begin to consolidate our efforts to accelerate the implementation of the Somali Women Charter and the National Action Plan on UN Security Council Resolution 1325 for equal and increased participation of Somali women in peacebuilding and leadership role.”

The Women, Peace and Protection Programme also intends to accelerate and strengthen the implementation of the WPS agenda, notably by addressing negative social norms and working closely with key counterparts, including the MoWHRD, the Ministry of Interior, Federal Affairs & Reconciliation (MoIFAR), clan elders, religious leaders, women leaders and civil society groups at both national and grassroot levels. 

“If sustained peace and stability were to be achieved, we need to address the rise in incidents of violence and misogyny; the exclusion of Somali women from decision-making; and a myriad of challenges they are facing,” said Adam Abdelmoula, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia opening the event.

The Women, Peace and Protection Programme is the first programme approved under the new PBF eligibility period 2020-2025. It will firmly anchor the new PBF portfolio in the WPS agenda and serve as a reference point for new programmatic initiatives by the PBF.