Somalia Opens Consultations on Joining UN Women’s Rights Convention

GOOBJOOG NEWS | MOGADISHU: The federal government of Somalia has launched consultations on potentially joining a major United Nations convention on women’s rights, opening discussions on how the international treaty could be adopted within the country’s constitutional, religious and social framework.

Acting Minister of Family and Human Rights Development Mohamed Osman Omar (Naastaro) opened the stakeholder meeting in Mogadishu on Tuesday, bringing together representatives from government institutions and other sectors to discuss Somalia’s possible accession to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women (CEDAW).

The meeting was organised by the National Union of Somali Journalists (NUSOJ) in collaboration with UN Women, with the aim of raising public awareness of the convention, examining the accession process and developing recommendations to guide the government’s next steps.

Omar said the consultation should be grounded in Somalia’s Constitution while taking into account the country’s religion, culture and social circumstances. He called for broad participation in the discussions, including from Parliament, the judiciary, women’s organisations, civil society, religious scholars, traditional elders, media representatives and young people.

Somalia has not yet joined CEDAW, which is widely regarded as an international framework for protecting women’s rights and addressing discrimination against women and girls. The convention requires countries that become parties to take measures to eliminate discrimination in areas including education, employment, political participation, healthcare and family relations.

Its provisions also address discriminatory laws and practices, calling on governments to take legislative and policy measures to advance equality between women and men.

Somalia’s potential accession comes amid continuing challenges affecting women and girls, including gender-based violence, female genital mutilation, early marriage and barriers to participation in political and economic life.

The consultation is expected to help identify the legal, institutional and social considerations involved in joining the convention and provide recommendations for a possible roadmap.

Omar commended NUSOJ for organising the meeting and UN Women for supporting the initiative.