The Cost Of Backlash: How Roll-Backs On Women’s Rights Deepen Sexual Violence In Somaliland

Produced by WHEEA with financial support from SIHA Network through the KOMBOA project, this paper presents an analysis of the growing backlash against women’s rights and its impact on sexual violence and legal protections in Somaliland.
JOINT STATEMENT: We Call for Zero Tolerance to FGM in Somaliland No Sunna. No Medicalization. No Exceptions.

We, women’s rights organizations in Somaliland, strongly condemn the continued practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM), which affects 99 percent of women and girls in the country.
We recognize that this harmful practice constitutes a grave violation of human rights, bodily integrity, dignity, and
OCTOBER – DECEMBER 2025 NEWSLETTER EDITION

Happy New Year! We hope 2026 has begun on a strong note for women’s rights, rooted in renewed courage, collective action, and bold demands for gender justice across the Horn of Africa and beyond.
As we look back, we are proud to share highlights of how we closed 2025 with purpose and impact. Across the region, SIHA Network advanced GBV…
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A Somalia Free from FGM/C in all its forms

Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) remains one of the most severe forms of violence against women and girls in Somalia, with a prevalence rate of over 99% among women aged 15 to 491.
Despite its devastating health consequences and violation of fundamental human rights, the practice persists under the guise of cultural tradition, social pressure, and false religious justification.
The Draft Anti-FGM Bill of 2019 represents an important milestone in the struggle to end FGM
Nursing Amid Conflict in Sudan: The Story of Azza in Al-Naw Hospital

When the war began on April 15, 2023, Azza Abdullah had previously been working at a hospital in Omdurman, however, within the first week of fighting, Al-Naw Hospital was overwhelmed with those in critical condition and issued an urgent notice calling for doctors, nurses and other medical professionals
Report Launch: “More than Numbers – Report on the State of Violence Against Women and Girls in Sudan (2023-2025)”

SIHA Network presents: “More than Numbers – Report on the State of Violence Against Women and Girls in Sudan (2023-2025)”
Released on International Human Rights Day, a moment ostensibly dedicated to reaffirming global commitments to dignity, justice, and protection, this report reflects the stark disconnect between these proclaimed universal values and the
South Sudanese Youth Call for Inclusive Governance and Peace

We, the youth of South Sudan representing Central Equatoria State (Juba), Western Bahr El Ghazal (Wau, Jur River, and Raja), Western Equatoria State (Yambio), and Jonglei State, gathered at the Regency Hotel in Juba from 27–28 November 2025 for the Inclusive Youth Forum. The forum was organized by the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network under the Inclusive Governance for Peace Project, supported by the UN Peacebuilding Fund.
Urgent Appeal: Massive Numbers of Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Cases Coming Out of El Fasher

Since the fall of El Fasher on October 26, 2025, the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network has documented and verified fifty-two (52) cases of rape and gang rape that took place in the first ten (10) days immediately following the attack by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Most of these crimes were committed on October 27, 2025, alone. These violations occurred as women and girls attempted to flee from the city through Shagra, Garni, and Tura villages in addition to Al Amal Gate.
Unchecked Brutality in Barah, North Kordofan: Testimonies Uncover Systematic Violence Against Women and Girls

The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network has documented widespread human rights violations committed against civilians in Barah, North Kordofan. This has included conflict-related sexual violence perpetrated against women and girls by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), who moved to ruthlessly take over between October 24 and 25, 2025, following the abrupt withdrawa,
New Evidence and Survivor Testimonies from El Fasher and Its Surroundings Emerge as RSF’s Campaign of Genocide Continues

The Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) Network remains appalled by the Rapid Support Forces’ (RSF) continuing campaign of genocide, ethnic targeting of indigenous African populations in North Darfur as a whole, and the perpetration of deep, systematic sexual violence against women and girls in El Fasher.