7th High Level Aid Coordination ForumHargeisa

Republic of Somaliland

Ministry of Labour & Social Affairs (MoLSA)

3 and 4 November, 2014Shukri Harir Ismail

Vice Minister

7th High Level Aid Coordination Forum

achievements

• National Gender Policy in 2009.

• National Gender Action Plan, 2013.

• National FGM policy, although it is yet to be approved by the cabinet ministers.

• National Disability Policy (Final)

• National Plan of Action for Children (NPAC) in Somaliland, 2014

• Draft national child act, 2014

Some achievements continue---

• Creation of child and women desks at some

police stations

• Female prosecutors

• Creation of Baahikoob/Waapo GBV shelters

• GBV working group and coordination meetings.

• Gender focal points & Inter-agency gender

coordination mechanism

• Capacity building support for women in politics.

Boys56%

Girls44%

Primary students disaggregated by gender 2012/2013

Primary students

Male 119,453

Female 95,578

Total 215,031

Progress in education from gender

perspective

81%

19%

Primary school teachers disaggregated by gender 2012/2013

Male Teachers

Female Teachers

Primary teachers

Male 5905

Female 1393

Total 7298

Progress in education continues---

Boys69%

Girls31%

Secondary students. 2012/2013

Boys36%

Girls64%

Non-formal Education 2012/2013

Secondary

students

Male 26,932

Female 12,306

Total 39,238

NFE

Male 11380

Female 20473

Total 31853

Progress in education continues---

62%

38%

University graduates 2012/2013

Male

Female

48%

52%

Technical Vocational Education

Male

Female

University

graduates

Male 3256

Female 2000

Total 5256

Technical V. training

Male 1246

Female 1376

Total 2,622

Progress in education continues---

Women’s representations

• The number of female councilors has comparatively increased

from two women councilors in 2002 elections to 10 female

councilors in 2012 District elections out of 345 councilors.

Additionally, the number of women in the cabinet ministers

increased from 1 in 2010 to 4 female ministers over the last

years.

• However, there is only one female MP In the parliament out of

164 MPs (House of Representatives and House of Elders).

• Female Prosecutors appointed by the President.

• Head of Somaliland Human Rights Commission.

• President’s advisor on gender issues.

• Newly appointed female member in electoral commission.

Gender disaggregated Candidates

92.4

%

7.6%

Male

Gender Number Percentag

e (%)

Male 2088 92.4

Female 172 7.6

Total 2260 100%

97%

3%Male

Female

Femalepoliticians areoutnumberedby malepoliticians

Aspirants less than

men

Fewer nominated by parties

Percentage of elected

female councilors

Gender Based Violence

105130

195

290

142

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

2010 2011 2012 2013 First 6months,

2014

1. FGM is the predominant form of GBV in Somaliland. Its

prevalence rate is estimated over 90%

2. Rape has been on the increase over the past years as

evidenced by following chart (Source: Baahikoob statistics and

WAAPO)

Challenges• Involvement of traditional leaders in solving GBV,

problems gives more chances to perpetrators to escape

from the formal legal system.

• Discriminatory traditions against women in politics.

• Preferential treatment is given to boys in education.

• Gender disparity in primary, secondary and tertiary

education.

• Inadequate qualified female teachers ( Role models)

• Women do not have equal control and access to

resources at all levels. ( Household to national levels)

Way forward• Engendering SDF and SSA. Alongside mainstreaming, specific measures

targeting women should be developed.

• Implementation of National Gender Action plan.

• All forms of violence against women to be prevented and response adequately.(Rape, domestic violence, FGM etc)

• Enhancing women’s access to Justice ( Public awareness raising, capacitybuilding for law enforcing agencies on women’s rights, legal aid provision,advocacy for women’s representation in judiciary, law reform etc)

• Promotion of women’s participation in decision making and politics ( electedbodies, civil service and political parties etc) Introduction of a quota system inelectoral laws.

• Gender mainstreaming: Building the capacity of gender machineries (Inter-agency gender coordination mechanism, Focal points, MoLSA and CSOs)

• Increasing number of girls accessing education at all levels.

• Public awareness raising on importance of girl child education.

• Increase the number of female teachers.

• Capacity building and Economic empowerment for economically impoverishedwomen ( marketable skills, micro-credit schemes, institutional building forwomen groups, etc).

• Enhancing women’s equal employment opportunities and eliminatingdiscriminatory practices in employment and promotion in private and publicsectors ( engendering and enforcing labor and civil service laws etc).