Somalia: Leadership training for Mogadishu women

Abdirisaq Shino

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Two hundred women took part in a nine-day leadership training course to prepare them for participation in the current political process.
The participants were drawn from government and non-governmental sectors, as well as from recent university graduates.
Shukria Diini, chairperson of Somali Women’s Studies Centre, organizers of the workshop, said Somali culture had downplayed women’s potential for leadership. She said women were discriminated against in political and decision making processes and more women needed to be involved in preparatory phases ahead of national elections scheduled in 2016.
Sainab Mohamed Warsame, a 21-year old graduate from Mogadishu University’s faculty of economics, told Radio Ergo that the training course enhanced women’s capacity to participate in state-building and representation in political institutions.
Sheekha Ali Said, from the Somali National Women Organization, said the 30 percent quota allocated for women was not being respected. Still, women expected to be able to play a significant role in the elections and had high hopes of the political process.
Source Radio Ergo