September 2014

In Somalia, a large number of men were killed in the civil war that lasted for twenty years, so women who survived this had to take the role of the breadwinner of the family. For example, at the central market in Bosaso, a port town in northern Somalia, it is said that 70 percent of merchants are women.

 
Throughout the prolonged conflict, traditional roles of men and women have gradually changed; now women have taken positions of responsibility in society. They began to demand that clan leaders end conflicts and instead hold peace conference. Womenwho were victims of conflict and violence started to raise their voice and therefore conducted a quest for peace, demanding action in support of peacebuilding.

In order to analyze these latest movements of women in Somalia, Dr. Shukria Dini of Somalia’s Women’s Studies Center (SWSC), together with JCCP and International Peace Support Training Centre (IPSTC), conducted research on “The Role of Women in Peacebuilding in Somalia”. This valuable data that Dr. Dini collected in Mogadishu through interviews with 22 people including three members of the Federal Parliament of Somalia will be analyzed in detail by researchers of IPSTC.