Saferworld: Peacebuilding is Gender Equality

In Somalia, women face high levels of insecurity. Women activists, journalists and peacebuilders are targets due to their work on issues that are considered controversial—gender equality, human rights and peacebuilding. They face significant challenges—not least violence by intimate partners and authorities, public backlash, ostracism by family members, and arrest and detention.

Saferworld is working with partners in Somalia to create a safe environment for women in peacebuilding and journalism by establish six Violence Observatory Systems. Somali women volunteers track and analyse violence against women activists and journalists, which are self-reported by survivors via a hotline or by women-led organisations. This data is used to improve responses to violence and to provide evidence for women to advocate for change. The volunteers guide survivors to appropriate referral services. This program is leading to a significant increase in the number of women accessing support services and is influencing high-level advocacy on policy reforms in Somalia – such as changes to the penal code and the creation of a gender office within Jubaland State’s Ministry of Justice.  Saferworld is also providing micro-grants to women’s organizations and women journalists to document their experiences and run communication and advocacy campaigns. Through this work Saferworld is developing a strong evidence base of the risks and how best to promote women’s safety and security in Somalia. Read more about our work here.