We are a diverse group of women from various parts of Ethiopia who promote women’s rights advancements and sustainable peace and security in our country.
Since women play a significant role in nation building and peace-making processes, we would like to articulate our concerns, present our demands and make recommendations in light of the current worrying situation in the country.
Somalia has long been plagued by conflict, instability, and suffering. Years of civil war, extremist violence, and political unrest have taken a toll on the nation, resulting in displacement, poverty, and unimaginable hardships. In the midst of these crises, women and girls bear the brunt of the burden, facing increased violence, discrimination, and exploitation. …
In Somalia, the Sexual Offenses Bill (SOB), a law aimed to reduce rape and gender-based violence, was passed by the Council of Ministers and sent to the Federal Parliament in 2018, but after two years, it was repealed. The House debated a new bill in 2020 that attempted to replace the original Sexual Offenses Bill. The newly drafted Bill (Sexual Intercourse and Related Crimes Bill) allows for child and forced marriage, among other violations of women’s rights.
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.
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..
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…
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)….
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…
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),..
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.
