Women’s Representation in Southwest Parliament Falls Far Below 30% Quota

GOOBJOOG NEWS | BAIDOA: The just announced list of members for the Southwest State House of Representatives has revealed a major shortfall in the implementation of the agreed 30% women’s quota.

According to the Independent National Electoral and Boundaries Commission, 92 lawmakers have so far been declared elected out of the total 95 seats in the regional parliament.

However, only 16 of those seats were allocated to women.

This means women currently make up approximately 17% of the parliament far below the 30% quota agreed upon in Somalia’s political framework.

To fully meet the quota, women were expected to secure at least 28 seats.

The current figures therefore show a deficit of 12 seats.

The development has sparked concerns among civil society groups and advocates for women’s political participation, who argue that the continued failure to implement the quota undermines efforts toward inclusive governance and equal political representation in Somalia.

The electoral commission has not yet publicly explained the reasons behind the shortfall in women’s representation.