Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development of the Federal Government of Somalia and United Nations Development Programme Somalia Joint Media Release
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Saturday March 16, 2019 - 15:11:36 in Wararka by
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63rd Commission on the Status of Women
Somali women issue Charter that calls for equal gender representation
across Somalia's government and other socio-economic sectors
16 March 2019, New York. At the 63rd Commission on the Status of Women (CSW) in New York on
Friday,Somalia's Federal Minister of Women and Human Rights Development,H.E. Deqa Yasin,presented a
Women's Charter for Somalia, that calls for fifty percent representation of women in government, and in
socio-economic sectors in the country. The Charter also calls for greater protection of women's rights, and
prevention of sexual and gender-based violence, including female genital mutilation (FGM).
The Charter was presented by Minister Yasin at a side event of the CSW led by theMinistry of Women and
Human Rights Development and co-chaired by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and
the Canadian Government.
Speaking during her presentation the Minister saidthe Women’s Charter and its acceptance by the
government of Somalia was a milestone for women and girls in her country. "The demands of the
Women’s Charter are ambitious, and rightly so. To ensure they become a reality, we must invest in a real
way in the future of women and girls. By doing sowe will create a bright future for a peaceful and
resilient Somalia.”
The Women’s Charterwas developed during athree-day Women’s Convention inMogadishu on 4-6 March,
which was attended by 350 female and male gender champions from across Somalia. The event was ledbythe
Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development together with Somalia’sFederal and Federal Member
State governments, and Somali civil society organisations. The Conventionwas supported by the United
Nations Development Programme(UNDP), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), UN Women, and
the Somalia Stability Fund.
The development of the Women’s Charter comes at a time when the provisional Constitution of Somalia is
undergoing a review process, and as key electoral, security and political laws are being developed in the
country. It has also taken place in advanceof universal suffrage (one-person-one-vote) elections,scheduled to
take place across Somalia in 2020-2021.
The fifty percent women’s representationoutlined in the Charter includes all three levels of government,
including elected and appointed officials in the public and private sector. The document also calls for zero
tolerance towards sexual and gender-basedviolence and for women’s rights to be enshrined in the revised
Constitution, and in the finalised electoral, security and political laws. Socio-economic rights in the form of
equal access to economic opportunities and technologies, are also a key call in the document. The Charter
affirms that such equal access will help build resilience and stability in Somalia.
AnouBorrey, Senior Gender Advisor for UNDP Somalia said UNDP,together with its UN partners, was fully committed to integrating the principles of the Women Charter across all of its interventions in Somalia. "The joint commitment by Somali women from across Somalia, is crucial in advancing an inclusive peace and development process, which is needed to attain the Sustainable Development Goals and a prosperous future for the country,” she said.
Michael Callan, Director of the Conflict Prevention, Stabilization and Peacebuilding Division (IRZ) of Global Affairs Canada, saidCanada supported the positive step being taken by Somalia to address gender equalitywith the development ofthe Women’s Charter, and the Charter’s call for the full inclusion of women across the political, economic and social spectrum in Somalia. "Canada firmly believes that promoting rights-based, open and inclusive societies where all people, regardless of their gender, can fully benefit from equal participation in economic, political, social and cultural life, is an effective way to build a safer and more prosperous world,” he said.
Ends
Media Contacts:
Ahmed Elmie, Communications Advisor, Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development, Federal Government of Somalia. Email: ahmed.elmie@gmail.com
Keelin FitzGerald, Communications Specialist, UNDP Somalia. Email: keelin.fitzgerald@undp.org
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Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development of the Federal Government of Somalia and United Nations Development Programme Somalia Joint Media Release
63rd Commission on the Status of Women Somali women issue Charter that calls for equal gender representation across Somalia's government and other socio-economic sectors 16 March 2019, New York. At the 63rd Commission on the Status of Women (