APD Commemorates International Women's Day

Every year the world celebrates International Women's Day on the 8th of March-an increasingly important day on Somaliland's calendar over the years. This year, the Academy for Peace and Development organised an action-packed event to commemorate the day with the help of the Academy's Gender Advisory Group.

The workshop-centred event was held in Hargeisa's Ahmed Dhagah District. With "Men and Women Unite against Violence against Women and Girls" as the main theme, the event was attended by more than 50 women from all over Ahmed Dhagah District.

"The objective of the 3-hour workshop was to primarily expose the level of women's awareness on the extent and types of violence against women", stated Mrs. Ifrah Abdi, the Academy's Hargeisa-based Gender Researcher. In doing so, "the idea was to try and come up with recommendations as to how to address this problem", she added.

The participants contributed to lively discussions on the legal, economical, political and cultural factors that contribute to violence against women. They all agreed that culture-based violence against women can only be changed by women themselves.

From Right: Ifrah Mohamed, APD Gender Research; Sahra-kiin Abdirahmaan, Workshop facilitator; Sahra Ali, member of APD Gender Advisory Group.		Women that attended the event commemoration		Faadumo Ahmed Nour, Chairman of Ahmed-dhagah Women Association

"It is mothers that discriminate boys from girls and mutilate their own daughters", argued Aisha Mohamed, a mother and a participant at the event. "If this is the case", she added, "then I believe it is up to mothers to change this habit".

In politics, some women believed that the biggest challenge confronted by politically-active women was convincing women electorates to vote for women.

"Women prefer to vote for their cousins instead of other women candidates. So, I am saying that women should believe in themselves and that they have to unite and support each other" asserted Mrs. Fadumo Ahmed Nur, chairman of a woman's association in Ahmed Dhagah District. To compete with the men in politics, the participants suggested that women should rely less on men and, therefore, should mobilise their own resources.

The event was concluded with the presentation of a cultural show, which included songs that were especially composed for the occasion as well as Somali folk dances.

The Academy contributed financially to a commemorative event that was held in Burao March 8th of last year.

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