“I want to say how encouraging it is to see so many women leaders from
so many different areas of activity. We often think of leadership as
being primarily from the political arena. But I think this group today
shows that… women can be leaders in politics, business, education, the
security sector and civil society, by motivating their fellow Somalis in
so many ways,” said the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative
in Somalia, James Swan.
“It is important that we recognise that leadership takes many facets
and can be expressed in many different ways. And that is what we see
here today,” he added.
The UN official was speaking at the ‘UN Open Day on Women, Peace and
Security,’ held to mark the 22nd anniversary of the UN Security
Council’s landmark Resolution 1325.
Asides from government, civil society and United Nations
representatives, participants at the event also included women leaders
from Somalia’s federal parliament, the business sector, youth groups,
educational institutions and Somali security forces.
Adopted in 2000, Resolution 1325 reaffirms the important role of
women in the prevention and resolution of conflicts, peace negotiations,
peace-building, peacekeeping, humanitarian responses and in
post-conflict reconstruction. It also stresses the importance of their
equal participation and full involvement in all efforts for the
maintenance and promotion of peace and security.
The UN Special Representative’s remarks included a focus on the role
that Somali women can and should play in their country’s decision-making
processes in the political arena, particularly their representation and
inclusion in all levels of government as well as their key role in
economic development, including their need to be able to access
financing. He also addressed the importance of education and building a
knowledge base so that women and girls are better able to contribute to
their country’s development.
“Obviously, education is at that centre of that growth and we know
that education of girls in particular has multiple benefits for overall
health and wellbeing and effectiveness of the society,” Mr. Swan noted.
Government and resolution 1325
In her remarks to the event, the federal Minister for Women, Human
Rights and Development, Khadija Mohamed Diriye, spoke of the importance
given to the resolution by the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS).
“Somalia is one of the 100 countries that have put together a
national plan to advance UN Security Council Resolution 1325. We will
work to implement this agenda,” said Minister Diriye. “My ministry will
work with the line ministries in the Federal Member States, the Banadir
Regional Administration, and women organisations to ensure that everyone
participates meaningfully.”
The FGS official noted that Somalia’s National Action Plan on Women,
Peace and Security will be implemented from 2022-2026, and was built on
four pillars: women’s participation in peacebuilding, their full
inclusion in decision-making, the prevention of abuse of women, and
their protection.
The National Action Plan was launched in September by the country’s prime minister.
Terrorism and resolution 1325
Another speaker at the gathering, the Deputy Commissioner of the
Somali Police Force, General Zakia Hussein, told the participants that
women can play a crucial role in ending conflict by encouraging female
members of Al-Shabaab to defect.
She noted that women associated with the terrorist group play a
variety of roles – including as assassins, fundraisers and couriers –
but that there was no outreach programme targeting them.
“We need a special platform for women in security and civil society
to counter Al-Shabaab’s abuse. In order to serve our people, security
and civil society organisations should work together,” the senior police
officer said.
The UN Special Representative acknowledged the participants’
commitment to combat Al-Shabaab and the negative effects that the
terrorist group has had on Somalia.
“Women are at times victims, but they are also essential actors in
taking the fight to Al-Shabaab in all its arenas – economic, in terms of
countering Al-Shabaab ideology in [the] perversion of Islamic ideas –
and women have a central role to play in that as well,” Mr. Swan said.
“Your messages to that end were clear today,” he continued. “We have
heard them from the Somali Government repeatedly and the importance,
particularly, of work by international partners to support stabilisation
and recovery in communities that are recaptured from Al-Shabaab. We are
working closely with government entities to that end.”
UN support
The world body’s top official in Somalia ended his remarks with an
assurance of the UN’s firm commitment to work with the participants in
advancing Resolution 1325, and with a call for unity and collaboration.
“I hope that you will continue to operate as a group. You are
stronger together. You are stronger working collectively, representing
all of the different attributes that you women leaders bring and I hope
that you will continue to work as a network” Mr. Swan said.
UN Open Days on Women, Peace and Security are held around the world
to commemorate Resolution 1325, with the occasion providing an
opportunity for women to highlight their experiences, challenges,
contributions and efforts to promote peace and security in conflict and
post-conflict settings.
The celebrations also give women the opportunity to directly engage
with leaders and policy planners and be actors for change, to take
ownership, as well as to strengthen the implementation of the resolution
and subsequent resolutions.
Credit: UNSOM
