Gender Equity and Women’s Rights

The foundation and premise for the creation of Somali Gender Equity Movement (SGEM) is to promote and fight for women’s rights with specific focus on social, political, and economic right and Somali women’s equitable access to the public sphere and political decision-making arenas. Since its inception, SGEM has made significant progress in promoting human rights of which women’s rights and gender equity are the foundation.

SGEM utilized Somali context-specific research, gender analysis, and best practice models to tackle the glaring absence of Somali women from the public appointive and elective positions as well as the exclusion of women’s voices from the critical debates surrounding Somalia’s statebuilding efforts. SGEM’s Gender Equity and Women’s Rights program uses a broad spectrum of strategies, including advocacy, policy analysis, public education and engagement, and coalition building as well as women empowerment. This program aligns with the Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development’s Somali Women’s Charter, and builds on the UN Sustainable Development Goal 5 on gender equality, and Goal 10 on reducing inequalities and promoting political inclusion.