CORONAVIRUS DOS AND DON’TS ARE BLIND TO URBAN POOR WOMEN’S REALITIES IN SOMALIA

Photography Credit: AMISOM Public Information, 2016

SIHA Network is a regional network that works with urban poor women in shanty, peripheral settlements in addition to internally displaced, migrant women and girls across the greater Horn of Africa.

The latest global warnings and protection guidance regarding Coronavirus (COVID-19) have been, in our view, largely a conversation among the privileged. The risk mitigation afforded by these prevention measures leaves out those who do not have access or only have limited access to 1) information 2) sanitizers/disinfectants, and 3) soap and clean water. These global proclamations further show a callous indifference to the fact that much of the world’s population lives in a state of precarity which does not permit them to continue to access food and an income in the event of widespread public shutdown. Meaning that if complementary measures are not taken, the implementation of social distancing would destroy the livelihoods of urban slum communities across the Greater Horn of Africa region.

In Somalia, SIHA works with women who typically live and work in very precarious conditions within urban shanty settlements and IDP camps. These settlements and camps are characterized by over-crowding and limited to no basic water and sanitation facilities. In light of the spread of coronavirus, we are very concerned about women in Somalia who are living in these marginalized conditions, particularly women refugees, migrants, informal laborers, and minorities because marginalized people become even more vulnerable in emergencies. This is due to factors such as their lack of access to effective early-warning systems and health services and their relatively lower levels of economics means. Moreover, cultural factors that regularly exclude women from decision-making spaces and restrict their access to information in Somalia will compromise women’s awareness of crucial updates and available services. The high risks of gender-based violence and sexual exploitation that women currently face will only be compounded by shutdown measures and the ensuing strain on the economy. This leaves women in Somalia caught in a bind between extreme insecurity and poverty, without the protections of economic safety nets and a healthcare infrastructure that is affordable and accessible.

On March 17, Prime Minister Hassan Ali Khaire announced that schools and universities would be closed for 15 days effective from March 19 and that large gatherings were prohibited. If progressively more strict shutdown measures are employed in Somalia to curb the spread of COVID-19, the national economy will suffer, with those in the informal sector hit hardest. As informal labor constitutes roughly 66% of Somalia’s local revenue, the nation has much to lose if they continue to ignore the needs of this sector – a sector predominantly composed of women.

Based on this, we would like to make the following recommendations to specific stakeholders within the Somalia context.

1. Key ministries alongside regulatory bodies within the Government of Somalia namely: Ministry of Health, The Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management, Ministry of Water and Environment, Ministry of Local Government, Ministry of women and Human right development, Minister of Labor and Social Affairs and Ministry of Information and Communications Technology must develop and invest in public health education campaigns that are furnished with accurate and up-to-date information. These campaigns must target women in urban slum communities and IDP camps, and must tailor their prevention and protection guidance to what is feasible and available in the local context.
   1. The Ministry of Information and Communications Technology must direct all media outlets to develop and tailor campaigns that are far-reaching and accessible to the entire society by disseminating information through diverse and appropriate communication channels to reach different groups of people. This information must be available and accessible to marginalized women and girls.
   2. Local government authorities must be engaged to develop information posters and flyers that can be shared in neighborhoods;
2. The Ministry of Water and Environment in collaboration with key development partners should fast-track the consideration and construction of safe water points within these shanty settlements where running water and soap are provided. Technically feasible piped water options within the peripheries of the urban areas should be considered too, most especially local markets and densely-populated areas.
3. Comprehensive relief measures for food distribution should be developed with direct collaboration through the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management and international relief aid organizations as well as other development organizations with a similar mandate;
4. The Ministry of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of Education and Sports should proactively engage the local artisan groups to train people on locally manufacturing sanitizers and face masks for mass dissemination at multiple and far-reaching levels;
5. The Ministry of Health should work with the local government to enhance the safety measures at IDP camps, in markets/public areas as well as in shelters, women’s and girl’s safe spaces and GBV one-stop centers such as providing sanitizers and soap with water at hand washing facilities and avoiding overcrowding.
6. Most importantly, SIHA strongly recommends that the Government of Somalia immediately implements the conditional release of detained women, particularly pregnant women and women with children, who have not committed violent offenses, and ensure that all detention, prison, and law enforcement facilities and offices make sanitizer and/or soap with water continuously available to all prisoners, personnel, and visitors.

Under no circumstances should urban poor communities be subject to further marginalization through measures which stigmatize and harm them, such as forced community-wide quarantines which cut people off from access to food, water, medicines and other basic necessities.

Shabakadda SIHA waa shabakad ka shaqeysa gobolka lana shaqeysa haweenka saboolka ah ee ku nool magaalooyinka, degmoyinka, kuwa gudaha ku barokacay, haweenka iyo gabdhaha soogalootiga ah eek u baahsan gud ahaan geeska Africa.

Digniinaha ugu dambeeyay ee caalamiga ah iyo hagida badbaadinta ee ku saabsan caabuqa karona (COVID-19) ayado laga dulayo  aragtida shabakada ayaa ah in mudnaanta lasiyo wadahadal dhexmara bulshada. talaabooyinkan lagu yareynayo khatarta  waxay meesha ka saartaa kuwa aan heli kareynin wax yabaha asasiga ah sida 1) macluumaad 2) agabka wax lagu nadiifiyo  iyo 3) saabuun iyo biyo nadiif ah. Baaqyadan caalamiga ahi waxay sii muujinayaan taxadar la’aan baahsan oo ku saabsan in dad badan oo dunida ku nool ay ku nool yihiin xaalad aan degganeyn taasoo u oggolaanaynin inay u sii wataan helitaanka cunto iyo dakhli ku filan haddii ay dhacdo in  la xidho isu iminditanka dadweynaha. Waxaa loola jeedaa haddii aan la qaadin tallaabooyin wax loga qabanayo arinkasi ay dhaqan gelinta mamnucida isku imaditanka  bulshada ayaa burburin doonta habnololeedka bulshooyinka ku dhaqan magaalooyinka gobolka Geeska Afrika oo dhan.

Somaliya, SIHA waxay la shaqeysaa dumarka khaasatan kuwa ku shaqeeya meelaha ugu samxada iyo halista badan magaaloyinka iyo degsiimoyinka barakacayaasha, degmoyinkaas iyo kaamamkaasi waa meelo isku raran ah oo samxad badan oo ay ku yar tahy ama aanay lahaynba adeegyada biyaha iyo nadaafada aasasiga ah.

Faafitaanka caabuqa fayraska karonas, waxaanu aad uga walaacsanahay dhamaan haweenka ku nool Soomaaliya ee ku nool xaalad takooran, gaar ahaan haweenka qaxootiga ah, muhaajiriinta, shaqaalaha aan rasmiga ahayn, iyo kuwa laga tiro badan yahay sababto ah dadka la fogeeyay waxay aad ugu nugul yihiin xaaladaha degdegga ah. Tan waxaa u sabab ah arrimo ay ka mid yihiin helitaankooda nidaamyo digniin hore oo wax ku ool ah iyo adeegyo caafimaad iyo heerarkooda dhaqaale oo aad u hooseeya. Intaas waxaa sii dheer, xeerar dhaqameed haweenka ka mamnuucaya meelaha go’aan qaadashada oo xaddidaya galaangalkooda macluumaad ee gudaha Soomaaliya taasina waxay yarayn doonta ka warqabka haweenka ee cusboonaysiinta iyo adeegyada la heli karo. Khataraha sare xusan  ee ku saleysan jinsiga iyo ka faa’iideysiga galmada ee haweenka ay hadda wajahayaan waxaa kaliya ee ay ku sii dari doonaa tillaabooyinkana ka dhalan kara culeyska dhaqaale. Wax yaabaha aynu so sheegna oo dhami waxay haweenka Soomaaliyeed ku hayaan kuna xiriiriyan nabadgelyo-xumo aad u ba’an iyo faqri, iyada oo aan la ilaalinayn amniga, dhaqaalaha iyo kaabayaasha daryeelka caafimaadka oo la awoodi karo oo la gaari karo.

Bishii March 17kedi, Ra’iisul Wasaare Xasan Cali Khayre wuxuu ku dhawaaqay in iskuulada iyo jaamacadaha la xiri doono 15 maalmood laga bilaabo March 19 iyo in la mamnuucay kulamada dadweynaha ee badan. Haddii ay sidaa kusii socoto Soomaaliya iyadoo la xakameynayo faafitaanka COVID-19, dhaqaalaha qaranka ayaa hoos ugu dhici doona, ha ugusii darnaato dhaqalaha aan rasmiga ahaynye. Iyada oo shaqaalaha aan rasmiga ahayn ay yihiin ku dhawaad ​​66% dakhliga gudaha ee Soomaaliya, qaranku wax badan ayuu ku waayi doona haddii ay sii wadaan in ay iska indhatiraan baahiyaha waaxdan muhiinka ah oo badi ka kooban dumar.

Hadaba anago ku salaynayna tansare ku xusan, waxaan jeclaan lahayn inaanu soo jeedinno soo jeedinnada soo socota daneeyaasha gaarka ah ee xaaladda Soomaaliya.

1. Wasaaradaha muhiimka ah oo ay weheliso hayadaha sharciyeynta ee Dowlada Soomaaliya oo kala ah: Wasaaradda Caafimaadka, Wasaaradda Gargaarka bini-aadminnimada iyo Maareynta Musiibooyinka, Wasaaradda Biyaha iyo Deegaanka, Wasaaradda Deegaanka, Wasaaradda Haweenka iyo horumarinta xuquuqda aadanaha, Wasiirka Shaqada iyo Arimaha Bulshada iyo Wasaaradda Warfaafinta iyo Isgaarsiinta waa inay horumariyaan oo ay maalgaliyaan ololayaasha waxbarashada caafimaadka bulshada ee lasiiyay macluumaad sax ah oo cusub. Ololahan ayaa ah inay bartilmaameedsadaan haweenka ku nool xaafadaha isku raranka ah ee magaalooyinka iyo xerooyinka barokacayaasha, waana inay ku habeeyaan ka hortaggooda iyo hagida ilaalintooda waxa suuragal ah oo heli karo.
   1. Wasaaradda warfaafinta iyo teknolojiyadda isgaarsiinta waa inay hagtaa dhammaan xarumaha warbaahinta si ay u horumariso una habeeyaan ololeyaal fog fog oo galaangal u leh bulshada oo dhan iyadoo faafinaysa macluumaadka iyada oo la adeegsanayo habab isgaarsiineed oo kala duwan oo ku habboon sidii loo gaari lahaa kooxaha kala duwan ee dadka. Macluumaadkaan waa inuu ahaadaa mid la heli karo.
   2. Maamulka dawlada hoose waa inay isku hawlaan samaynta waraaqo macluumaad iyo waraaqo lagu qeybiyo xaafadaha; iyadoo lagu qorayo talaabooyinka loga hortagayo covic 19 laguna qorayo  afka somaliyeed
2. Wasaaradda warabka iyo beraha  oo kaashanaysa daneeyasha  muhiimka ah waa in ay si deg deg ah uu  dhisan  meelaha laga helo  biyo nadiif ah ayado dadka lagu cawinayo sabun  Sido kale wa in la hubiya addegsiga Farsamooyinka lagu xaririnayo tuboyiinka biyaha gaar ahaan suuqyada maxalliga ah iyo meelaha dadku ku badan yihiin.
3. Waa in la hormariya Tallaabooyin dhameystiran oo dhinaca gargaarka ah ee lagu  qeybinayo gargarka iyada oo wadashaqeyn toos ah uu  dhexmarayo  xafiiska Ra’iisul Wasaaraha iyada oo loo marayo waxda  Masiibooyinka iyo Qaxootiga iyo ururada gargaarka caalamiga ah iyo sidoo kale ururada kale ee horumarinta.
4. Wasaaradda Ganacsiga, Warshadaha iyo tan iskaashatooyinka iyo Wasaaradda Waxbarashada iyo iyo tan Cayaaraha waa inay si firfircoon uga hawlgalaan awoodda farshaxanka ee maxalliga ah si ay dhallinyarada awood ugu yeeshan soo sarka  waxyabaha lesku nadhifiyo iyo maskarada lagu xidho wejiga.
5. Wasaaradda Caafimaadka waa inay la shaqeysaa maamulka Magaalada si loo tababaro loona qalabeeyo haweenka jidadka wax ku iibiyo si ay uu noqdaan  safiirrada caafimaadka bulshada.
6. Ugu dambayn SIHA waxay si xoog leh ugu talineysaa in Dowladda Soomaaliya ay si dhaqso leh u dhaqan geliso siideyn shuruud leh haweenka xiran, gaar ahaan haweenka uurka leh iyo haweenka carruurta leh, kuwaas oo aan gelin dambiyo culculus, iyo inay hubiyaan in dhammaan xirnaanshaha, xabsi, iyo xarumaha fulinta sharciga iyo xafiisyadu sameeyaan. nadiifin iyo / ama saabuun iyo biyo joogto ah dhammaan maxaabiista, shaqaalaha, iyo soo booqdayaasha.

Duruuf kasta oo jirta waa in bulshooyinka saboolka ah ee magaalooyinka ay ku dhici karaan faquuqid dheeri ah iyadoo la adeegsanayo tallaabooyin dhaleeceyn ah iyo waxyeello u leh, sida karantiillada bulshada ee qasabka ah oo dadka ka jaraya fursad u helidda cuntada, biyaha, daawooyinka iyo waxyaabaha kale ee daruuriga ah.