In follow-up to the “Call for Condemnation of Somali Women Federal Government Positions Being Appointed to Men,” addressed to the Prime Minister of the Federal Republic of Somalia, Hon. Hamze Abdi Barre, and copied to Hon. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, the President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, SGEM held a forum on X Spaces to discuss these issues. The forum was attended by Members of Parliament, politicians, technocrats, women’s rights advocates, and other civil society members including SGEM members.
The aim of the forum was to address the decreasing number of females in the federal government, including the Cabinet of Ministers, which is composed of 75 members. Only 9 (12%) were women, and on July 27, 2023, women lost one minister and one state minister, reducing their representation to 7 (9%). The forum expressed strong condemnation, opposition, and deep sadness over the renaming of the Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development to the Ministry of Family and Human Rights Development and its appointment of a man, General Bashir Mohamed Jama (Bashir Goobe), as well as other key positions previously held by women being appointed to men.
The positions previously held by women and now appointed to men include:
- Member of the House of the People of the Federal Parliament
- Minister of the Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development
- State Minister for the Ministry of Youth and Sports
- Deputy Chief of Police
- Accountant General
- Deputy Governor of the Central Bank
- Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office
- Director of Finance of the Ministry of Agriculture, who was also acting General Secretary.
SGEM’s Founder & Executive Director read the key points of the “Call for Condemnation of Somali Women Federal Government Positions Being Appointed to Men” to over 2,000 individuals who participated in this forum, which included key recommendations. Forum participants who spoke in the space also made important recommendations.
The key recommendations expressed include:
- Organize a large conference for women to unite and have their voices heard.
- Establish a gender department in each of the federal ministries.
- Establish a women’s affairs committee consisting of women’s rights advocates and policymakers.
- Send an open letter requesting the name of the ministry be changed back to its original name, the Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development.
- SGEM to contact international donors for funding to organize, lobby, and develop a women’s agenda.
SGEM’s key recommendations from the “Call for Condemnation of Somali Women Federal Government Positions Being Appointed to Men” letter include:
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- Reassign the positions taken from women to equivalent or more strategic roles to ensure a balanced, fair, and inclusive government.
- Appoint at least 4 women among the 9 MPs to be selected for the East African Legislative Assembly.
- Ensure the selection process for the National Independent Electoral Commission, previously chaired by a woman, includes qualified women competing for the chairperson position, with the aim of appointing a chairwoman.
- Secure at least 30% representation for women in all appointed, elected, and nominated positions, including independent committees.
SGEM thanked the co-moderators of the forum, Fatima Ibrahim (Malta) and Shamsa Shegow, and key speakers, including MP Mursal Khalif, MP Mohamed Ibrahim (Ma’alimu), Halima Ismail, former Chair of the National Independent Electoral Commission, all the other speakers and all the participants of the forum.
You can listen the whole forum discussion in this link:
https://x.com/sgem2016/status/1817621420576563661
