Letter: Joint civil society advocacy letter to the Ambassador of the UAE

Her Excellency Lana Nusseibeh
Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the
United Arab Emirates to the United Nations
315 E 46th Street
New York, NY 10017
We, the undersigned feminist, and women’s rights civil society organizations, write to you regarding the devastating situation facing the people of Sudan, particularly regarding the violent armed conflict occurring in Al Geneina, West Darfur.
Press Statement: Decades of impunity are contributing to the escalation of sexual violence and violence against women in Sudan’s conflict

SIHA strongly condemns the increasing rates of sexual gender-based violence (SGBV) in different states in Sudan. The limited information about SGBV cases shows a clear pattern of committing war crimes against civilians and waging the war against the whole nation by weaponizing SGBV against women and girls. The documented and verified cases of SGBV have now exceeded 70 cases..
Press Statement: The footprints of genocide can be traced in Al Geneina

The RSF is viciously and systematically murdering people and burning their homes in the city, particularly targeting the Masalit and other ‘African-identified’ groups.* This should not come as surprise; Al Geneina has been the site of extreme violence and war crimes for the past four years…
Statement to the 75th Ordinary Session of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (in English & French)

We call upon the African Commission to hold Member States of the Horn of Africa accountable to their commitments to African women, as parties to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and to the ideals of The Protocol to the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights on the Rights of Women in Africa (the Maputo Protocol)….
Living in the Borderlands: Impact of the Armed Conflict on Women and Girls in Las’Anod

On June 26, 1960, Somaliland formally declared its independence from the United Kingdom. Shortly thereafter, on July 1, 1960, the State of Somaliland and Italian Somalia united to become the Somali Republic. However, Somaliland regained its independence in 1991 after years of struggle, spearheaded by the Somali National Movement (SNM), a guerrilla movement predominately comprised of people from the Isaaq clan that fought against the Somali regime led by President Mohamed Siad Barre…
Newspaper article – Engendering the Digital Economy: Reflections from Women Market Vendors in Uganda

The theme for this year’s International Women’s Day as appropriately chosen by the United Nations, was “DigitALL: Innovation and technology for gender equality.”
It takes into account why technological innovations are increasingly being recognized as a precondition by civil society organisations, governments, the academia and private sector to accelerate the attainment of all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs),..
Position Paper – Improving Women’s Access to Information and Meaningful Participation in Somalia

This position paper is based on information gathering conducted by the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) in Somalia and involves different groups of women and women’s organizations, including grassroots women’s organizations/networks, women human rights defenders, activists, women politicians, IDPs and women with disabilities.
Women’s and grassroots civil society’s participation in Sudan’s current political process toward democracy and civilian governance

This position paper draws on a series of discussions and interviews conducted by the Strategic Initiative for Women in the Horn of Africa (SIHA) between August 2021 and June 2022. These discussions were complemented by an online survey completed by 98 women from various backgrounds, including grassroots women’s networks, …
Stop using religion to justify sexual violence against women and girls in Somalia

Joint Civil Society Organizations Press statement:
Civil society and human rights organisations are deeply appalled by the recent decision of the Parliament of Somalia to pass the Sexual Intercourse Bill over the historic Sexual Offences Bill (SOB) that was adopted by the Council of Ministers in May 2018.
Gender Alert: Child and Forced Marriage – Shattering Dreams of Young Girls in South Sudan

Child and forced marriage are both human rights violations and harmful practices that disproportionately affect women and girls globally, preventing them from enjoying their childhood and living fulfilling lives. This year’s National 16 Days of Activism theme in South Sudan, “Take Responsibility: Protect Women and Girls from GBV” is crucial in the context of child and forced marriage