Mainpage | Get Involved | Partners | Learn More | Articles | Links | Contact
Empowerment and Education
Somali women live in a very challenging environment, but the United Nations and other organizations are encouraging female education and empowerment as part of the Millennium Development Goals.
The United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) has established strong relationships with women’s networks in Somalia. These networks are confronting numerous women’s and human rights issues such as violence against women and HIV/ AIDS. Some of the tools UNIFEM is providing these women include, a Training of Trainers Manual on Gender and HIV/AIDS, the women’s minimum agenda for peace, and general advocacy resources for gender justice.
The United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) underscores UNIFEM’s desire to encourage female empowerment through its work to improve the Somali education system. UNESCO assists in developing and distributing primary school textbooks, developing a national curriculum, and providing support for academic assessment. UNESCO also supports civic education and radio broadcasts on peace-building and national reconciliation.
In addition to the Somali Scholarship Fund, the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has encouraged local authorities and parents in Somalia to allow women to attend the police academy. These women are now members of the Hargeisa police force, working to ensure that women have a way to report sexual and other crimes.
