Somali women still fight for political space

Ahead of Somalia’s upcoming elections, the United Nations in Somalia urges all Somali stakeholders to honour the commitment made to implement the agreed 30 per cent women’s quota when electing the representation for the Upper House and 11th Parliament.

Governance and politics in Somalia are largely male-driven and dominated due to historically gendered discriminatory social norms, practices, and institutional barriers that impede women's capacity to participate in leadership roles meaningfully.

The Provisional Constitution of Somalia has a number of positive implications for the status of women, particularly on the involvement of women in politics and elections. 

However, most Somali women are still either excluded from participation in elections, decision-making and asset ownership, or operate through a patriarchal filter in these areas, mainly due to cultural restrictions on their movement and political role.

Amina Mohamed Abdi was only 24 years old when she first ran for parliament in 2012. She won, becoming one of the few women in Somalia's parliament. This leaves little room for women to assert themselves as potential candidates.

There’s neither a policy nor a legal mechanism to ensure compliance with the 30 percent quota. While the provisional constitution designates space for women in politics, there’s no way to enforce this beyond appealing to the traditional leaders to implement it.