The Evolution of the Women’s Movement in Somaliland: Challenges and Grounds for Optimism It is important to acknowledge that, the Somalia-Somaliland conflict of the 1980s/1990s continues to influence the politics, gender relations, and evolving women’s movement of the semi-independent territory of Somaliland as well as the gender relations and evolving women’s movement in Somaliland today.12 In the wake of this conflict, women across Somaliland communities have increasingly become primary breadwinners and heads of their households, and they have gained a stronger presence and role in public life.13 Despite these significant sociocultural shifts, the Somaliland government continues to ignore the importance of reforming policy and legal frameworks to recognize and treat women as equal citizens.14 All attempts so far for legal reform that could enable women’s equality have been ceased or obstructed by either the parliament or the House of Elders. This indicates a failure by the government of Somaliland to recognize that the human rights of women and girls are a crucial part of the peace and development processes of the country. The groups of women who initially formed NAGAAD Network, which was founded to advocate for women’s empowerment and to work toward achieving an egalitarian society, constituted the beginnings of the Somaliland women’s movement and also played an active role in peace building, reconciliation, and reconstruction after the civil conflict of the early 1990s.15 Over the last two decades, women’s groups and women-led civil society organizations have grown and increasingly participated in Somaliland national development activities, including their work to disempower the warlords, increase community awareness, reduce interclan fighting, and promote women’s participation in the public spheres of politics, employment, and social interaction.16 Despite these contributions, the structures and institutions of power and decision-making in Somaliland have remained deeply patriarchal.17 Women make up half of the nation, yet their oppression continues. This negatively impacts the development of the entire nation, causing slow growth or stagnation in education, health, and security sectors as well as on human rights indicators. “People try to colonize each other’s pasts, and men try to colonize women’s versions of conflicts”18 Although the struggle for an independent and peaceful Somaliland was a joint struggle, where
Tungaraza, 2010 Gardner & Bushra, 2004; Tungaraza, 2010 14 Gardner & Bushra, 2004; Tungaraza, 2010 15 Tungaraza, 2010 16 Jama, F, 2010 17 Jama, F, 2010 18 Hale, 2012 12 13
Reflection on Gender Equality Agenda in Somaliland
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