SIHA is dedicated to challenging patriarchy, eradicating violence, and creating equitable, safe spaces for women and girls in Djibouti.
By combining advocacy, community engagement, and service delivery, SIHA supports women to become agents of change, whose voices shape policies, cultural norms, and systems.
Through these efforts, SIHA envisions a future where women and girls live free from violence and discrimination, actively participate in governance and leadership, and contribute to building a just and inclusive society.
SIHA works in Djibouti to advance women’s rights, equality, and protection, focusing on addressing gender-based violence (GBV), harmful traditional practices, and the economic, political, and social barriers that limit women and girls’ potential.
Our work engages grassroots communities, women’s rights organizations, human rights defenders, and government stakeholders, with particular attention to women and girls in vulnerable communities, especially those in the informal sector, who face extreme poverty and systemic exclusion.
Context and Challenges
Djibouti presents a complex landscape for women’s rights, shaped by a combination of progress and deeply rooted inequalities.
Women have gained greater access to education, public and private sector jobs, and roles in the military and security forces.
The 1992 constitution, a milestone for equality, guarantees that all people are equal under the law regardless of sex, race, religion, or language. A 26% parliamentary quota has opened space for women’s participation in politics. However, women remain vastly underrepresented, with only one woman serving as a minister in the current cabinet.
Despite these legal gains, patriarchal traditions and restrictive governance continue to undermine women’s empowerment:
Core Interventions
SIHA’s programming in Djibouti addresses these intersecting challenges through a holistic, feminist approach aimed at tackling both root causes and immediate needs.
Our strategic priorities include:
Gender-based violence remains widespread yet largely underreported.
Prevailing social norms prioritize clan reputation over individual rights, resulting in cases being settled privately within families. Women are often pressured not to report incidents, and the formal justice system is rarely involved.
This silence perpetuates impunity and deepens women’s vulnerability.
Female Genital Mutilation/Cutting (FGM/C) remains a critical concern, despite being criminalized under Article 333 of the Penal Code, which carries penalties of jail time and fines.
FGM/C continues, particularly in remote villages and across neighboring borders, causing severe physical and psychological harm to women and girls.
Rooted in long-standing traditions, it represents one of the most significant barriers to women’s health and human rights in the country.
Additionally, the presence of foreign military bases and private security forces has been linked to sexual exploitation of women and girls, particularly those living in poverty or among migrant populations and unaccompanied minors.
Cultural taboos, lack of education, and limited awareness of rights leave many women with no safe channels to report abuses or seek justice.
While Djibouti adopted a National Action Plan on Women, Peace, and Security (WPS) in 2017, in line with UN Security Council Resolution 1325, its implementation has been slow.
The plan’s aim is to ensure women’s meaningful participation in peacebuilding, governance, and conflict recovery. However, many women remain excluded from decision-making spaces, limiting the transformative impact of these frameworks.
SIHA’s work in Eritrea is focused on supporting women’s human rights activists and defenders who are working to address the unique challenges faced by Eritrean women and girls, particularly those on the move across borders.
Given Eritrea’s highly restrictive political environment, where civil society activity is tightly controlled, SIHA’s engagement primarily takes place through regional partnerships and cross-border initiatives.
Context and Challenges
Eritrea is a highly militarized and politically closed state, where freedom of expression, assembly, and association are severely restricted.
Women and girls face systemic barriers to participation in governance and decision-making and are often subjected to gender-based violence, forced labor, and harmful practices.
Persistent conflict, poverty, and limited opportunities have driven many Eritreans; especially young women and girls to flee the country.
These journeys are fraught with risks, including sexual exploitation, trafficking, and violence, both during migration and in host countries.
For those who cross into neighbouring countries like Sudan, access to protection, services, and justice remains extremely limited.
Displaced Eritrean women and girls often face discrimination, live in precarious conditions, and lack safe channels to report abuse or seek support.
Core Interventions
SIHA is deeply committed to amplifying the voices of Eritrean women and girls, particularly those displaced by conflict, systemic oppression, and poverty.
Our work focuses on empowering girls and women on the move across borders, ensuring they have the tools, knowledge, and support to rebuild their lives and advocate for their rights.
Through cross-border programming and partnerships with women’s human rights defenders and grassroots activists, SIHA:
By linking Eritrean activists and communities with regional advocacy platforms, SIHA ensures that their voices are heard and prioritized in humanitarian, migration, and policy agendas.
SIHA is dedicated to transforming the landscape of women’s rights in Ethiopia by protecting, empowering, and actively engaging women and girls in shaping their futures. Through its integrated interventions, SIHA works to end systemic violence and discrimination, strengthen a resilient and inclusive feminist movement, and ensure that women’s voices lead conversations on justice, peace, and governance. SIHA envisions an Ethiopia where women and girls live free from violence, with equal access to opportunities, services, and decision-making spaces, contributing to a peaceful and just society.
SIHA has been active in Ethiopia for over 10 years, working through partnerships with local organizations, women human rights defenders, and grassroots activists.
Our focus is on building an inclusive women’s movement and advancing the rights of marginalized women, including internally displaced persons (IDPs), survivors of gender-based violence (GBV), migrant returnee women and girls, and urban poor women.
SIHA’s work spans multiple regions, including Addis Ababa (where we have our Country Office), Amhara, Oromia, Tigray, Afar, Gambella, Benishangul-Gumuz, Sidama, Harari, Somali, and Dire Dawa.
Context and Challenges
Ethiopia has made commitments to global and regional human rights frameworks such as CEDAW and the Maputo Protocol, yet key reservations and weak enforcement hinder the full realization of women’s rights.
While the 1995 Constitution and other legal frameworks recognize women’s rights, significant gaps remain including the lack of legal recognition of marital rape and inconsistent implementation of laws addressing gender-based violence.
Women continue to face systemic discrimination, violence, and limited access to justice, worsened by deeply rooted socio-cultural norms and fragile legal systems.
The war from 2020 to 2022 in Tigray and neighbouring regions resulted in widespread violations of women’s human rights, including sexual violence, rape, and killings, compounding pre-existing vulnerabilities.
Political instability, ethnic and religious tensions, and the socio-economic impact of COVID-19 have further deepened gender inequalities, leaving women with diminished access to services, leadership roles, and protection systems.
Although there has been some progress since the 2018 reforms that brought more women into decision-making roles, ongoing polarization and backlash continue to challenge these gains.
Core Interventions
To address these complex challenges, SIHA’s work in Ethiopia is guided by strategic, feminist interventions designed to create lasting impact:
Peacebuilding and Transitional Justice
Promoting women’s participation in conflict resolution and peace processes and ensuring transitional justice mechanisms reflect the needs and voices of survivors.
In Somalia, SIHA remains unwavering in its mission to challenge patriarchy, confront harmful practices, and protect the most vulnerable, especially internally displaced women and girls.
By combining advocacy, service delivery, and cultural transformation, SIHA is working toward a future where women are safe, empowered, and fully included in shaping Somalia’s peace and development.
SIHA operates in Somalia through its office in Mogadishu, where it works closely with internally displaced women and girls, vulnerable communities, and local partners to challenge gender inequality and transform deeply rooted social norms.
Somalia’s context presents complex challenges marked by decades of conflict, displacement, and patriarchal structures, which have left women and girls at the margins of political, economic, and social life.
Context and Challenges
Somalia is a deeply patriarchal society, organized around kinship networks and a rigid customary division of labor. The protracted civil war destroyed social institutions and infrastructure, while simultaneously driving women into new roles, especially in small-scale trading and informal economic activities.
While this shift has contributed to gradual changes in societal attitudes, women continue to face widespread discrimination, with cultural practices and beliefs reinforcing their exclusion from positions of power and decision-making.
Economic inequality remains severe. Women have limited access to education, jobs, and financial services. Most private sector enterprises are controlled by men, who have far greater access to trade opportunities and credit facilities, both locally and internationally. As a result, wealth remains unevenly distributed, leaving women significantly poorer and more economically dependent.
Somalia also grapples with alarmingly high maternal mortality rates, driven by a lack of adequately equipped health facilities and skilled medical personnel, especially in rural areas. These further compounds the vulnerability of women and girls, particularly among internally displaced populations who face displacement-related challenges and extreme poverty.
Core Interventions
SIHA’s programs in Somalia mirror its regional approach, but are uniquely adapted to the local context and challenges faced by displaced populations:
Barriers to Women’s Participation
Women are largely excluded from decision-making structures, which remain dominated by traditional male-led systems.
The introduction of a 30% parliamentary gender quota was hailed as a breakthrough, but in practice, women still face systemic resistance and limited influence over political processes.
This lack of representation perpetuates policies and structures that fail to address women’s needs, creating cycles of exclusion and disempowerment.
Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is pervasive in Somalia, especially in IDP settlements, where displaced women and girls face heightened risks.
These abuses are rarely reported and are often handled through informal family-based resolutions, with perpetrators paying compensation or, in some cases, marrying survivors.
This practice not only silences survivors but reinforces impunity, leaving women without access to justice or protection.
Single women and those without family support networks are particularly vulnerable, often facing destitution and exploitation.
Our Work with IDP Communities
SIHA’s work in Somalia places internally displaced women and girls at the center.
These communities face multiple intersecting challenges; displacement, poverty, gender-based violence, and lack of access to services requiring comprehensive, community-driven responses.
Our interventions focus on:
By working directly with IDP communities, SIHA ensures that displaced women are agents of change, not just beneficiaries of aid.
Driving Social Transformation
SIHA’s work in Somalia is deeply rooted in community mobilization and advocacy.
Through grassroots movements, SIHA challenges structural inequalities and builds coalitions of women’s rights defenders, ensuring that women’s voices are heard at local, national, and regional levels.
Our initiatives not only respond to immediate crises but also lay the foundation for long-term change, transforming attitudes, strengthening systems, and creating pathways for women and girls to thrive.
SIHA is committed to transforming systems of exclusion and inequality in Somaliland by amplifying the voices of women and girls, particularly those affected by displacement and conflict.
Through our work in Hargeisa and surrounding regions, SIHA strives to ensure that women are protected, empowered, and included in shaping policies and social structures that impact their lives.
SIHA operates in Somaliland through its office in Hargeisa, engaging closely with internally displaced women and girls, grassroots communities, and local partners.
Our work focuses on challenging gender inequality, combating gender-based violence (GBV), and empowering marginalized women, especially those in displacement settings and the informal sector.
Through partnerships with women’s rights activists, traditional leaders, and human rights defenders, SIHA supports community-driven solutions to deeply rooted social, cultural, and economic barriers.
Context and Challenges
Somaliland, like many parts of the Horn of Africa, remains a deeply patriarchal society, where kinship structures and traditional norms dominate political, economic, and social life.
While recent years have seen women take on new roles; particularly in informal trade and small-scale enterprises — they continue to face systemic discrimination and exclusion from decision-making spaces.
Women’s political representation remains low, despite increased advocacy efforts.
The 30% gender quota for parliament has been a positive step forward, yet cultural resistance and structural barriers have limited women’s actual influence over policies and governance processes.
Economic inequality is stark. Women have limited access to education, financial services, and employment opportunities, while most private sector businesses are controlled by men.
Women in the informal sector, especially street vendors and small-scale traders, are disproportionately affected by poverty and lack the safety nets needed to thrive.
Sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) is widespread, particularly among internally displaced populations, where insecurity, poverty, and weak legal protections leave women and girls highly vulnerable.
Cases of violence are often underreported due to stigma and fear of reprisal, with many disputes settled privately through family or clan-based systems, which prioritize community harmony over individual justice.
This perpetuates impunity for perpetrators and discourages survivors from seeking formal legal redress.
Core Interventions
SIHA’s work in Somaliland is designed to address these complex challenges through integrated, feminist approaches:
In South Sudan, SIHA is committed to transforming power structures, challenging harmful practices, and empowering women and girls to actively shape their futures.
By combining advocacy, capacity building, emergency response, and community-driven solutions, SIHA is building a foundation for peace, justice, and equality in one of the world’s most challenging contexts.
SIHA has a strong and growing presence in South Sudan, with offices located in Juba and Wau. These offices serve as key hubs for programming, advocacy, and coordination, enabling SIHA to work closely with grassroots communities, civil society organizations, and government actors across the country.
SIHA collaborates with women’s rights organizations, human rights defenders, cultural and religious leaders, women in politics, and local authorities to advance gender equality, protect women and girls, and create lasting social transformation.
Advancing Women’s Political Representation and Leadership
A core focus of SIHA’s work in South Sudan is strengthening women’s political participation and leadership.
Our advocacy efforts have centered on implementing the 35% quota for women’s representation in governance, as well as ensuring women’s active involvement in peace negotiations and decision-making processes.
These efforts have opened doors for women to occupy key positions in national bodies and influence policies in ways that are gender-sensitive and inclusive. Women leaders from SIHA’s network have also played critical roles in ensuring that peace agreements and security processes integrate gender considerations, demonstrating the transformative impact of women’s leadership on national stability and governance.
Transforming Cultural Norms and Engaging Male Leaders
Recognizing that lasting change requires engaging men, SIHA works with traditional and religious leaders to transform entrenched social and cultural norms that perpetuate discrimination and violence against women.
Through targeted dialogue and training, these leaders have begun adopting inclusive practices within traditional courts and community governance structures, addressing issues such as child marriage, gender-based violence, and women’s exclusion from decision-making.
This approach has helped create community-driven solutions to deeply rooted inequalities, with male leaders emerging as allies in advancing gender equality.
Community Awareness and Prevention of Sexual Violence
SIHA has made significant progress in raising awareness about the root causes of sexual violence and harmful practices, while also promoting prevention and response strategies.
Using community dialogue sessions and mass media outreach, SIHA has been able to:
By combining community engagement with advocacy, SIHA has built a foundation for sustainable social change and increased public support for gender justice.
Emergency Support for Survivors of GBV
To respond to urgent needs, SIHA provides practical emergency assistance to survivors of sexual and gender-based violence.
This support includes:
These interventions ensure that survivors are protected, supported, and empowered to seek justice and rebuild their lives.
Vocational Training and Economic Empowerment
To address the economic marginalization of women and girls, SIHA implements vocational training programs tailored to local market needs.
These programs equip participants with practical skills in areas such as tailoring, hairdressing, baking, catering, and hospitality.
Graduates are provided with start-up support, including tools, equipment, and mentorship, enabling them to launch small businesses, earn sustainable incomes, and contribute to their communities’ economic resilience.
Partnerships and Networks
SIHA’s interventions are strengthened through collaborative partnerships with local women’s rights organizations and advocacy coalitions.
These networks amplify women’s voices, create platforms for collective action, and link community-level efforts to national, regional, and global advocacy for gender equality and justice.
In all its engagements, SIHA remains committed to confronting patriarchy and religious dogma while promoting normative shifts toward gender equality in Sudan. By amplifying women’s voices, documenting sexual violence violations, and advocating for systemic change, SIHA continues to stand as a beacon of hope and resilience for Sudanese women and girls.
SIHA has a long-standing history of work in Sudan, having first established operations in Khartoum in 2002, expanded to the Darfur region in 2004, and later to Eastern Sudan and Southern Kordofan in 2007. From 2002 to 2008, the Regional Secretariat Office was also based in Sudan before relocating to Kampala, Uganda in 2009 due to escalating insecurity.
For many years, SIHA operated through two main offices in Sudan – one in Khartoum and another in North Darfur – Al Fashir city. However, these offices were closed in April 2023 following the outbreak of the current war. To ensure the continuity of its work, SIHA has since relocated its operations to safer locations in Kassala and Port Sudan, where it continues to support women and communities affected by the crisis.
Grassroots Work and Women’s Empowerment
Since 2010, SIHA has focused on grassroots women in urban poor areas, including displaced and migrant women and girls. Its approach has been to build countrywide networks, foster solidarity for advocacy and protection, and create effective response strategies to address the systemic challenges facing women across Sudan.
Through this work, SIHA has supported the formation of over 30 women street vendors’ cooperatives, numerous local women’s associations, and five gender equality networks, in addition to networks of women human rights defenders and leaders. These structures have become vital platforms for collective action, resilience-building, and advocacy, particularly during times of conflict and instability.
SIHA continues to strengthen the women’s movement through capacity-building programs, sub-granting support, and by creating safe and inclusive spaces for women’s participation in decision-making processes, ensuring they remain central to peacebuilding, recovery, and governance efforts.
Responding to the 2023 War: Addressing Conflict-Related Sexual Violence
The war that erupted on April 15, 2023, has created unprecedented humanitarian and protection challenges for women and girls. In response, SIHA has intensified its work to document cases of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV), amplifying survivors’ voices and shedding light on the widespread use of sexual violence as a weapon of war.
This documentation drives SIHA’s national, regional, and international advocacy, with the aim of demanding accountability, strengthening protection mechanisms, and mobilizing stakeholders to confront impunity. SIHA also works to ensure that survivors have access to justice, psychosocial support, and pathways to recovery, positioning women’s protection and dignity at the center of humanitarian and peacebuilding agendas.
Advocacy and Policy Influence
SIHA and its members are at the forefront of challenging discriminatory laws, raising awareness about sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and confronting the criminalization of women by the Sudanese legal system. The organization also works to shift societal narratives on women’s rights and gender equality.
A key part of SIHA’s advocacy has been its push for Sudan to ratify the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW). Sudan remains one of only two African countries that has yet to sign this critical international treaty. SIHA also calls for the adoption and implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1325 on women, peace, and security to ensure women’s meaningful participation in peace processes.
Research and Knowledge Production
SIHA is renowned for its research and publications on gender equality, women’s movements, access to justice, and the sociopolitical contexts of Sudan, including those in conflict-affected areas.
These publications are widely used as references in Sudanese academic institutions, including the University of Khartoum, Ahfad University, and various public libraries, serving as vital resources for policymakers, researchers, and activists.
Legacy of Advocacy and Revolution
SIHA remained active throughout the Sudanese Revolution, which culminated in April 2019 with the toppling of Omar Al-Bashir’s National Congress Party (NCP) after 30 years of dictatorship. Women were central to the December Revolution, not only as participants but as organizers, facilitators, speakers, and motivators.
Despite these contributions, women in Sudan continue to face discriminatory laws, extreme sexual violence and harassment, unequal access to resources, and limited opportunities to influence decision-making. This reality underscores the urgency and relevance of SIHA’s work today.
In Uganda, SIHA is committed to ending exploitation and harassment of women in the informal economy and transforming markets and streets into safe, dignified spaces.
By advocating for systemic change, empowering women vendors, and building inclusive movements, SIHA envisions a future where women’s contributions to Uganda’s economy are valued, protected, and respected.
Through these efforts, SIHA continues to amplify the leadership and resilience of grassroots women, driving transformation in both Kampala and Arua City and beyond.
SIHA operates in Uganda through its office in Arua City, working closely with grassroots women, particularly women market and street vendors across the country, including in Kampala.
Our programs focus on amplifying the voices of women in the informal sector, addressing systemic discrimination, and building their collective power to advocate for safer, more equitable working environments.
Context and Challenges
In Uganda, sexual harassment and violence against women working in markets and on the streets is pervasive yet rarely discussed openly.
Markets and street vending spaces — vital for women’s livelihoods — are often sites of physical, sexual, and economic violence, driven by:
Many women are forced to pay cash for protection to local authorities or power brokers, a practice that entrenches exploitation and inequality.
Those who wish to pursue legal action face insurmountable barriers, including the high costs of police services and court fees, which make justice inaccessible to most women market and street vendors.
Core Interventions
SIHA’s work in Uganda integrates holistic interventions that respond to the intersecting barriers faced by women in the informal sector. These interventions guide all our programming:
The Women Vendors’ Manifesto
To confront entrenched harassment and exploitation, SIHA engaged women market and street vendors in extensive consultations, resulting in the creation of the Women Vendors’ Manifesto.
This manifesto highlights six priority demands, including:
The manifesto serves as a powerful advocacy tool, positioning women vendors as key actors in shaping policies that affect their daily lives.
Building Women’s Power and Leadership
SIHA equips women with skills and confidence to advocate for their rights and influence governance systems.
Through capacity-building programs, women gain expertise in:
This empowerment enables women to actively participate in decision-making spaces, ensuring their experiences inform policies and interventions.
Economic Empowerment and Resilience
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted livelihoods, leaving many women market and street vendors as sole providers for their families.
In response, SIHA provided small grants to women’s cooperatives, enabling them to:
This initiative supported both individual recovery and community-wide economic stability.
Strengthening Survivor Support Systems
Survivors of sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) often face broken referral systems and inadequate service delivery.
To address these gaps, SIHA trains frontline responders, such as health workers, psychosocial counselors, market leaders, police, legal aid providers, and local government representatives.
The training builds their capacity to:
Building an Inclusive Women’s Movement
Grassroots women, especially those in the informal sector, often feel disconnected from mainstream women’s movements, which they view as dominated by urban elites and national organizations.
This disconnect has left local women’s groups without strong platforms for organizing and advocacy.
To bridge this gap, SIHA supported the creation of a coalition of women’s rights organizations in Arua district, bringing together women from both formal and informal sectors, including market and street vendors.
The coalition provides a space for dialogue, strategizing, and joint advocacy, ensuring grassroots women’s voices influence local and national agendas.
Ayan Mohamed Djama is a Legal and Social Consultant with strong expertise in judicial, port, and associative matters, and solid experience in designing, managing, and evaluating high-impact social, legal, and educational programmes. Internationally trained in Senegal, Kenya, France, and the United States, she supports NGOs, institutions, and private sector actors while leading community initiatives focused on the training, empowerment, and leadership of young women, girls, and youth to foster more just, inclusive, and resilient societies.
Bibiana Joseph Awad holds a Master’s degree in Education in Emergency from the University of Juba. She is an activist and the Projects Officer at the SIHA Network in South Sudan, where she oversees critical initiatives focused on supporting survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). Bibiana manages the One Stop Centre at Wau Teaching Hospital, a facility that provides comprehensive services to GBV survivors, including medical care, psychosocial support, and legal assistance. She works closely with local communities, healthcare providers, legal institutions, and women’s coalitions to address the urgent challenges of GBV in South Sudan.
Through the One Stop Centre, Bibiana has strengthened the capacity of service providers and protection groups while advocating for the rights of women and girls affected by violence. In her free time, she enjoys reading books, listening to music, and engaging on social media.
Jackie Bless Pinyoloya is the Project Officer at SIHA Network in Uganda; where she passionately champions feminist principles and gender justice. With a solid foundation in gender issues, advocacy, and economic empowerment for women, Jackie brings a wealth of expertise, particularly in the informal sector.
Currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in Gender Studies at Makerere University School of Women and Gender Studies, Jackie is committed to advancing her knowledge and understanding of gender dynamics. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Social Sciences with a major in Gender Studies from Makerere University Kampala, reflecting her dedication to exploring and addressing social inequalities.
In her role, Jackie combines her academic background with practical experience, contributing significantly to the organization’s mission of promoting gender equality and empowerment. Her dedication to feminist principles is evident in her work towards creating positive change in the lives of women in Arua and beyond.
Adla Abubker is a women’s rights activist from Sudan with more than 15 years’ experience of working toward gender equality in Sudan. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Rural Development from Ahfad University for Women in Sudan. Her areas of expertise include working with grassroots communities, women’s economic empowerment, gender activism and negotiating with men to change inequitable attitudes.
Currently, Ms Abubker a Program Officer with SIHA in Sudan, where she oversees SIHA’s work on building women movement, and women in Islam, reforming gender-discriminatory legislation, and engaging youth on issues of gender, religion, and race. She believes that the link between religion and law is in dire need of reform, and that discriminatory interpretations of Islam are a root cause of violence against women in Sudan.
Neimat Abas brings over ten years of experience in the nonprofit sector. She holds a bachelor’s degree in law from Juba University and a master’s degree in Gender and Governance from Ahfad University for Women in Sudan, where her research focused on women’s political participation at the local level. Neimat is currently the Coordinator for the SIHA Network in Sudan.
Before joining SIHA Network, Neimat worked with the Arab Association for Constitutional Law in Tunisia, Oxfam America in Sudan, and Women for Women International in Washington, DC. She has played a key role in the development, implementation, and ongoing enhancement of high-quality women’s empowerment programs in eight conflict-affected countries.
Neimat has also been actively involved in the leadership of the Students Association and various political and civil society organizations for several years. As a result, she has developed strong skills in working with university students to organize political campaigns, raise public awareness about civil rights, and build democratic organizations and institutions.
Yousef Ahmed Abdi (Timacade) is a Lawyer and Legal Analyst holding a Master’s Degree in Law and Executive Management. Over the past decade, he has consistently demonstrated dedication through his work with national and international non-governmental organizations, focusing on critical areas such as human rights, program management, and research within Somalia and Somaliland.
Currently serving as the Somali Region Programme Coordinator for the SIHA Network, Yousef embodies not only legal prowess but also a deep commitment to women’s human rights advocacy. He is also known for his prolific blogging and commentary, dedicated to raising awareness about human rights issues. His unwavering dedication to gender equality propels him into the role of advocate for marginalized communities, striving to amplify their voices and effect transformative change. Yousef specializes in championing egalitarian ideals and advancing progressive reforms in the Somali region, with a particular emphasis on achieving gender parity.
Yousef is a valued member of the editorial board of the Women in Islam journal. His numerous writings delve into the intricacies of human rights, particularly those affecting Muslim women.
Zemdena Abebe is the founder of Afri-colors, a social-enterprise startup, curating made-in-Africa products, crafted by women. As a Pan-Africanist -womanist- she refuses to be erased and amplifies the voices of women through her research, writing, multimedia -storytelling, organizing, and activism: disrupting intersecting oppressive systems. Her social justice advocacy work started in high school; Chaired Addis Ababa Girls’ Forum– which facilitated discussions amongst girls laying the foundation for legislative intervention against sexual abuse in Ethiopia. As the first women president of Addis Ababa University Students’ Union: she reaffirmed the need and organized various youth-led movements despite the hostile university context. One of the 22 young African women selected as part of the writing for social change workshop organized by AWDF and FEMRITE in Kampala, Uganda. An alumnus of the prestigious Mandela Washington Fellowship.
Amongst her multilayered affiliations, she sits on the advisory council of ActionAid Ethiopia. Previously, she worked with UNICEF Ethiopia and consulted many other local and international organizations such as the EU, FEMNET.HBF, FHS, TRUST AFRICA, etc. Volunteered for the African Union (African Academy of languages in Bamako, Mali: as a research and Marketing Assistant. Zemdena is a graduate of Political Science & International Relations, who often likes to dance her way to freedom. Asserting the notion that African women, girls & non-binary folks have the right to a life free of heteronormative -capitalist -anti-black -patriarchal terror based on their overlapping otherness: her work reaffirms that human progress is achieved through imagining a better world through the realization of a transnational strong justice-centered human kinship. Zemdena’s writings of resistance can be found on Pambazuka, Africa is a Country, HBF, African Feminism et al
Ramatoulie Isatou Jallow (L.L.M Graduate in National Security Law, Georgetown, 2023 and in Human Rights and Democratization in Africa University of Pretoria, Centre for Human Rights, 2021) is a peace practitioner and attorney from Botswana and the Gambia, specializing in human rights, democratization, national security, conflict prevention and women, peace and security. In her previous professional experiences, she worked for the African Union, the United States Institute for Peace, and the Georgetown Center for National Security. Immediately before joining SIHA Network, Ramatoulie was also the Mary Frances Berry Senior Fellow at the Center for Ethics and Rule of Law, affiliated with the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. Here she led research on the military coups in the Sahel and West African region, civic education in the military and indefinite detention.
Her publications include Covid- 19 and Intrastate Armed Conflicts in Africa, Beyond the Outbreak: Creating a Sustainable Peace Culture in Botswana and Intergenerational Peacebuilding Among Women: Leveraging the Power of Collaboration, which she co-authored.
Outside of work, Ramatoulie is an avid reader, lover of poetry, culture, art and music.
Martin Maate Bwambale is the Regional Human Resource Officer at SIHA Network, with over 8 years of progressive HR experience in both the private and not-for-profit sectors across the Greater Horn of Africa. As a member of the Human Resource Managers Association of Uganda, Martin is passionate about creating human capital-centric environments that foster a positive employee experience and contribute to the achievement of organizational goals. He is dedicated to helping individuals unlock their potential and become better versions of themselves by implementing sound HR practices and policies.
One of Martin’s key accomplishments includes serving as the Chairperson of the HR COVID-19 SOP Taskforce Committee, which was established by the Uganda INGO Country Directors Forum. He played a vital role in drafting standard operating procedures for workplace COVID-19 prevention, response, and control, as well as work-from-home policies, which were adopted in 2022.
Martin holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Production and Operations from Bugema University and is currently pursuing a Master of Business Administration in Human Resource Management at Cavendish University.
Outside of his professional life, Martin enjoys playing soccer with C Club, a corporate soccer team in Kampala, Uganda, for health, leisure, and networking. He is also passionate about singing and traveling.
Sauda Kayaga is SIHA Network’s Regional Senior Finance Officer. A trained Statistician, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Makerere University. Sauda has 2 years of experience in statistical research and analysis, 3 years in cashiering and banking, and over 5 years in project financial management. She has a strong aptitude for working with complex financial modelling and analysis and a deep understanding of financial systems and procedures. Sauda is highly passionate about her work and brings a keen attention to detail and expertise to every aspect of her role.
Justine Namuyanja is the Procurement & Compliance Officer at SIHA Network, bringing over a decade of experience to the organization. Throughout her career at SIHA, she has made significant contributions to the finance, procurement, administration, human resources, and compliance sectors. Justine has consistently demonstrated her ability to manage procurement processes efficiently while ensuring compliance with both internal and external standards. Her expertise also includes optimizing operational workflows and improving the transparency and efficiency of financial systems, all of which are essential to the success of SIHA’s work. Justine’s role is also critical in upholding the integrity and accountability of SIHA’s operations.
Sandra is an accomplished communication professional passionate about building knowledge and conducting strategic advocacy initiatives that advance the rights of women and girls.
In addition to feminist activism works, she has, in the last 15 years, pursued her career ambitions in areas of climate change mitigation and adaptation, agriculture and food security, social enterprise development, public health, as well as ICT for Development.
Sandra holds a Master of Arts in Development Journalism and Communication (Strategic & Corporate Communication Management major), plus a Bachelor of Mass Communication (Public Relations & Marketing major) from Makerere University in Kampala Uganda.
Furthermore, she holds a Post Graduate Diploma in ICT for Development and Social Good from the Spanish Telecentres and ICT Spaces Academy in Spain.
Twitter: @SandraNassali
Shinaz Rehema Ali-Zaids (She/Her) is a passionate and dedicated advocate for social justice. Her professional journey has focused on women’s rights, marginalized communities, natural resource governance, and climate change. With over a decade of experience in the women’s funding sector, she has offered strategic guidance to international organizations on community-driven, participatory grantmaking.
Deeply committed to her local Nubian community, Shinaz actively engages in local initiatives and serves on various boards to amplify the voices of marginalized groups. Her work addressing human rights gaps at the grassroots level has shaped her passion for strengthening social systems that protect the rights of vulnerable populations. A strong advocate for wellness, Shinaz prioritizes self-care and collective care within teams, recognizing that sustainable social change is rooted in both individual and collective well-being.
Throughout her career, Shinaz has collaborated closely with women to develop long-term, sustainable solutions to their most pressing needs. Her expertise in movement building has been key to expanding programs across diverse regions of Africa. In her current role as the Regional Grants and Capacity Building Coordinator, she supports SIHA Network’s country teams in executing impactful work and scaling their initiatives. Shinaz also provides critical support to women and communities in conflict and post-conflict settings, ensuring their safety, security, and ongoing activism in advancing women’s rights.
Mercy is a Public Health Professional with a keen interest in gender equality, equity, and social inclusion. She has over 15 years of experience in programme design and management, as well as monitoring, learning, and evaluation.
This is expertise Mercy has gathered by managing and coordinating multiple projects while working with government entities and civil society organisations at the grassroots, national, and international levels.
Mercy holds a Master of Community Health and Development from the Great Lakes University of Kisumu, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from Moi University in Eldoret Kenya.
Twitter: @MercyOwuor2
Mayada Eltayeb is the Head of Finance and Administration at SIHA Network. She joined the organization in 2008 with over a decade of experience in finance and organizational management, leading SIHA’s strategic financial planning and resource management. Born in Sudan and raised in the United Arab Emirates, Mayada earned her bachelor’s degree in accounting from Ahfad University in Sudan in 2005.
Before joining SIHA, she had gained extensive experience working with various audit and accounting firms, refining her skills in financial analysis and reporting. Under her leadership, SIHA’s Finance and Administration division has strengthened financial processes and policies, ensuring compliance, transparency, and the effective allocation of resources. Mayada’s efforts have been pivotal in supporting the organization’s sustainability and operational excellence. She has also completed several specialized training courses in NGO financial management in Uganda and South Africa, further enhancing her expertise and leadership capabilities.
Faizat Badmus-Busari is the Regional Programme Manager at SIHA Network. With a strong background in program management and a Doctor of Juridical Science (SJD) degree from Emory University School of Law, she expertly navigates the crossroads of gender, law, religion, and social justice, serving marginalized communities, especially women and girls.
Before SIHA, Faizat held significant positions in international organizations like The Carter Center and various United Nations agencies. There, she managed projects ranging from grassroots efforts to global initiatives, focusing on gender equity, social inclusion, democracy, and human rights. At SIHA, she oversees the network’s regional programs, ensuring the mission and vision are effectively carried out across the Horn of Africa. Faizat brings her extensive gender-transformative, legal, and program management expertise to the role. Guided by a belief in collective action and intersectional feminism, Faizat collaborates with organizations and partners to promote women’s rights, peacebuilding, and social justice in the region.
Hala Al karib was born and raised in Sudan and later lived in Canada. She currently lives and works in Uganda. She has lived and worked in South Sudan, Kenya and Egypt as well the Eastern and Horn of Africa for over 20 years. Hala’s work specifically focuses on women and girls rights activism and social movement as well as refugees and displaced persons and minority community’s challenges. She has wide and comprehensive expertise on the Horn and Eastern Africa regions, as a civil society worker/activist, and social and gender research practitioner. Her educational background is on Human rights, women studies and Psychology. In addition to her work as the Regional Director of SIHA Network, she worked for various international and regional organizations/institutions among them; The College of Social & Economic Studies, Juba University in South Sudan where she worked as a Research Assistant; The sociology department at the American University in Cairo as an Assistant Researcher; Immigrant Women of Saskatchewan Inc. in Canada as the Program Director; Trocaire, an Irish Organization as Grant Officer based in Sudan. She has also worked as a consultant with various international and UN Humanitarian organizations, including; Goal Ireland, World University Services, Accord International and Concern International.
She is a regular contributor to many online and print media outlets. Her writing is focused on activism, women’s rights and social justice. Some of her recent articles are published in: Aljazeera, Open Democracy, Sudan Tribune The Pambazuka, the New Humanitarian and the East African Newspaper. She is the Editorial head of SIHA Journal – Women in Islam in the Horn of Africa (Arabic & English).
Twitter: @Halayalkarib
Kadra is a Social Worker from Djibouti currently working with the Ministry of the Promotion of Women & Family Welfare & Social Affairs- Djibouti. She is also a member of the Djiboutian Women’s Union. Kadra currently serves on the Program Advisory.
Dr. Lyn Ossome is the Director of the Makerere Institute of Social Research (MISR), Makerere University. She received her PhD in Political Studies from Wits University. Her specializations and taught courses are in the fields of feminist political economy and feminist political theory, with particular research interests in land and agrarian studies, gendered labour, queer feminist histories and the political economy of gendered violence. She currently serves on the Program Advisory
Aluel Atem is a seasoned development economist, blogger, and African Feminist Activist hailing from South Sudan. With over eight years of dedicated experience, her primary focus has been on gender and conflict transformation. Currently serving as a Senior Program Officer at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), Aluel holds the role of USIP’s In-country (Kenya) lead for the Border Security Training Program (BSTP). In addition to her role at USIP, Aluel is a co-founder of two women’s rights initiatives: Ma’ Mara Sakit Village and Crown the Woman-South Sudan, both based in South Sudan.
Rose is a programme monitoring and evaluation expert with over 15 years of experience providing specialized services for program design, organization capacity assessments, facilitating training and M&E. She has also provided technical support to institutions to develop and cost strategic plans. Rose has broad research experience/evaluation in the areas of HIV and AIDS, Sexual and Reproductive Health. As GBV Focal Person she provides technical support to the GBV National TWG on general program and M&E specifically.
Kimberley Armstrong holds a PhD in Anthropology from McGill University in Canada. Her research focused on transitional justice, conflict, and displacement in Northern Uganda, with previous studies on rural-to-urban migration of women in Senegal. She is currently working with the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, as the Manager of Program Evaluation and Reporting. Prior to joining the Ministry, she served as SIHA Network’s Regional Programmes Manager for over six years.
Currently serving as the Association for Women’s Rights in Development [AWID]’s Deputy Director of Human Resources, is an accomplished international Human Rights [HR] strategist with a significant experience in the Horn of Africa region. With a background in Development Studies from Makerere University (Uganda) and an ongoing MBA in Human Resource Management, Jemimah is dedicated to continuous professional development. Her contributions to building high-performance workforces and her leadership in international HR make her an invaluable asset to any global enterprise. Additionally, Jemimah serves as the Program Advisor, supporting with operations at SIHA Network.
Abdifatah is a Somali human rights defender with extensive experience in advocacy within the civil society arena. He is the Founder of the Digital Shelter – a local initiative founded in March 2018 by activists who are passionate about the intersection between technology and human rights in Somalia with the aim of promoting digital safety, digital rights and inclusion and internet freedom in the growing digital civic space of Somalia. He holds a Masters Degree in Human rights. Currently works for the UN as a Human rights officer in Somalia
Guleid is an active human rights defender and an Attorney at law the Xaqdoon Law Firm, based in Somaliland. He is the Co-founder and former Chairperson of Human Rights Center (HRC), a human rights advocacy organization also based in Somaliland. Guleid currently serves as a Program Advisor.
Ms. Asmahan is one of the founders of SIHA, currently serving as Advisor to the SIHA Board. She is currently Chairperson of Nagaad Network in Somaliland. She has also served as Chairperson of the Somaliland Women’s Research and Action Group (SOWRAG). Asmahan is actively involved in the Somaliland women rights arena as a women human rights defender. Her tenure spans 23 years. She is a graduate of Arts and Humanities from the University of Khartoum.
Peace Twine Kyamureku is the Executive Director of the Ruth Fund Uganda. She is a secondary school teacher by profession, holding a Master of Arts Degree from Makerere University and has trained in Gender, Human Rights and Civil Society Studies. She currently serves on the Advisory to the SIHA Board.
Saba is currently the Executive Director of the Network of Ethiopian Women’s Associations (NEWA), a member organization of SIHA Network. Saba is a Lawyer in the Ethiopian Courts of Law by training and profession having served as a Special Prosecutor. She is also one of the founders of the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA). In her tenure, she has served as a Consultant at the IGAD Gender Unit and the African Union Women, Gender and Development Directorate (WGDD).
Ms. Kaltun is a Gender Expert and Women Rights Activist from Somaliland. She has served in a number of positions within civil society organizations advocating for, and working in women’s rights, gender equality, and peace-building. She serves on the Board of Directors of Women Advocacy and Progress organization (WAAPO). Kaltun was recently re-elected as the only woman on the Somaliland Electoral Commission.
Fadwo Hassan Jimale is a Somali woman rights activist with experience spanning 10 years in gender-mainstreaming and social protection of women and children in Somalia. I have Ten (10) years’ experience in excellence of general protection and development of gender mainstreaming. Her experience in GBV survivor work in Somalia has necessitated her participation in women’s movement-building work particularly with the women and Child Cluster in Somalia. Fadwo has represented SIHA in a number of national and regional spaces contributing to SIHA’s mandate of advocating for the acknowledgment of women rights in view of the lived realities of women and girls in the region.
Rigbe is a passionate women rights activist from Ethiopia, trained as a Lawyer and Social Worker, who has dedicated her career to advocating for people with disabilities, especially women. She works to spread awareness about people with disabilities and what they are able to achieve. She is the Co-founder and treasurer of Ethiopian Lawyers with Disabilities Association (ELDA), Co-founder and board chair of Setawit and a member of the United Nations Women Civil Society Advisory Group She is also a 2016 Mandela Washington Fellow. Rigbe sits on the Board of Directors of the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA) – a member of SIHA Network. She currently serves on the SIHA Board of Directors.
Zabib Loro Musa is the Executive Director of Women for Justice and Equality (WOJE), a feminist advocacy organization dedicated to advancing and advocating for the rights of women in marginalized communities across South Sudan. At WOJE, she leads the organization’s efforts to implement the Women’s Peace and Security agenda in grassroots communities throughout South Sudan.
Kaltun Qasim is the Director of Women’s Human Rights Education and Environment in Somaliland. Her organization works in different rural and urban centres in Somaliland and has been a member of SIHA for more than 10 years.
Lilian Byarugaba Adriko is the CEO of FIDA-Uganda and is a very well known woman advocate and rights defender in the country playing a significant role in improving the status of women by promoting their socio-economic rights and justice and advancing gender equality within Uganda.
Ms. Omayma Amin Elmardi is the Director at the National Sudanese Women Association (NSWA) a member organisation of SIHA Network. She holds a Bachelors of Science from Cairo University – Khartoum branch, a Post-graduate Diploma in Development Studies and a Master of Science in Development Planning from the Development Studies and Research Institute (DSRI) University of Khartoum. Omayma currently serves as the Chairperson of the SIHA Board of Directors.
