President Hassan congratulates Somali women on 8 March celebrations

On the occasion of International Women’s Day 2015, the President HE Hassan Sheikh Mohamud today recognised the contribution of Somali women and their importance to the future peace and prosperity of Somalia.
“I want to recognise and honour Somali women of the past, present and future. Somali women have been strong and courageous during twenty plus years of conflict; their resilience in the face of extreme odds ensured that a kernel of hope, optimism and desire for peace and order remained. Today, women are taking their place in business, public life, leadership roles throughout Somalia.
“There is not one country in the world which has developed democratically without the full participation and inclusion of women. As President, I am committed to ensuring that we tackle barriers that may prevent women’s rights being discussed, committed to and adhered to. There is much more that we must work together to make possible for women in Somalia. There must be no barrier to women’s engagement with society; their voices being heard in public, and in private. As our institutions develop we must ensure that there is no obstacle to women being engaged in both in civic service and in public life. Importantly, education must be fully accessible across Somalia, so that our daughters have the same opportunities to learn as their brothers.
“Reconciliation, political development, security and stability will only progress when our daughters, sisters, wives and mothers are respected, involved, listened to and their rights protected by law. I urge Federal Government institutions to hasten the development of laws, policies and regulations that will ensure this comes to past.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day 2015, it is up to all of us to ‘make it happen’.